Chelsea High School senior earns unique scholarship

Being a reliable golf caddie with a good academic record led Chelsea High School senior Jordan Fansler to earn a unique scholarship opportunity.

Fansler is one of 30 students from the state of Michigan who have been awarded the WGA’s Evans Scholarship, a prestigious full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies.

This was announced following an online selection interview held Jan. 7.

According to the WGA, each caddie has a unique story, reflecting the scholarship’s four selection criteria: a strong caddie record; excellent academics; demonstrated financial need; and outstanding character.

“I feel honored to be a recipient of the Chick Evans Scholarship. I know it’s a prestigious award and I couldn’t be more proud to have been selected. I’m also very grateful to the WGA for offering this scholarship to caddies,” Fansler told The Sun Times News. “This opportunity will be life changing for me, as well as all the other recipients around the nation.”

The winners of this scholarship will begin college in the fall of 2021 as Evans Scholars, attending either Michigan State University or University of Michigan, where they will live in the Evans Scholarship House. The Evans Scholarship is valued at an estimated $120,000 over four years.

“Each of these deserving young students epitomizes what our Program has been about since its creation in 1930,” said WGA Chairman Kevin Buggy in the announcement of the scholarship. “Their dedication, hard work and sacrifice is humbling, and we are honored to be able to help them pursue their dreams.”

The Western Golf Association, headquartered in Glenview, Illinois, has supported the Chick Evans Scholarship Program through the Evans Scholars Foundation since 1930. One of golf’s favorite charities, it is the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies.

Currently, a record 1,045 caddies are enrolled in 19 universities across the nation as Evans Scholars, and more than 11,320 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr.

Fansler said there were a few criteria he had to meet to be considered for the scholarship. The first was to have a strong caddie record.

“I caddied regularly for three summers at Barton Hills Country Club in Ann Arbor,” he said. “On top of that I also needed to have good grades in school, and once I was selected as a finalist I had a final interview with the scholarship committee.”

According to the WGA, Scholarship funds come mostly from contributions by 32,500 golfers across the country, who are members of the Evans Scholars Par Club program. Evans Scholars Alumni donate more than $15 million annually, and all proceeds from the BMW Championship, the third of four PGA TOUR Playoff events in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup competition, are donated to the Evans Scholars Foundation. In 2021, the BMW Championship will be held at Caves Valley Golf Club from Aug. 23-29.

Fansler plans on attending the University of Michigan and studying engineering.