Evans Scholar Classic Fetes Top Caddie Scholars And Alumni

The 13th annual New Jersey Evans Scholars Classic outing brought together more than 100 Evans Scholars alumni, administrators, NJSGA caddie alumni, and friends and included the first meeting of the NJSGA’s two current Evans Scholars on Monday, June 15, at Hawk Pointe Golf Club in Washington, N.J.

Tyler Citrin of Springfield, a caddie at Baltsurol, and a newly-named Evans Scholar who is entering his sophomore year at Indiana University, met Tommy Marcus of Tenafly, a caddie at Knickerbocker, who is a rising junior at the University of Michigan.

The event has become the focal point for those with ties to the Evans Scholarship, which bestows full scholarship and tuition to prestigious universities for those caddies fortunate enough to be selected for the award.

This year, Citrin became just the third full-scholarship New Jersey recipient. Citrin is receiving a full-scholarship to Indiana University after review of his outstanding work on and off the golf course.

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Evans Scholars are usually accepted prior to entering college. However, Citrin, a New Jersey State Golf Association Caddie Scholar, was initially denied by the committee but reapplied after the fall semester at Indiana University.

The Evans Scholars Classic has raised $306 million since its inception in 1930. The NJSGA is very proud to join in the effort with the Western Golf Assocation to distribute well-deserved scholarships to caddies.

One day, Citrin and Marcus will be like the group of Evans Scholars Alumni who connected in an effort to give back to the program and organized the Classic in the early 2000s.

Such alumni are Amy Lillibridge (Miami '02), current Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations at the Western Golf Association, Rich Bourke (Illinois '82), Ross Galarneault, current Director of GHIN at the USGA, and Tom Paluck. Paluck, an Evans Scholar at the Michigan State University, Class of 1962, and former NJSGA president, initiated the event after a suggestion by Lillibridge. He hoped New Jersey caddies might get the same academic opportunity that the Evans Foundation extended to him years ago.

Jeff Harrison, Vice President of Education at the WGA and Evans alumnus, reported that within the coming years, the Evans Program anticipates a record number of 1,000 scholars enrolled full-time in colleges. This is an objective executed by the generous support of the Match Play Challenge, a program that allows donors to double the impact of their donation to the Foundation. Those who choose to participate as March Play Challenge partners pledge to match Par Club gifts of $2,500 or greater.

Harrison stressed how important is it that the two Foundations to work together. As they have the past 13 years, the strength of the combined programs has grown enough to fulfill Tom Paluck’s objective to continue to send New Jersey caddie scholars to participating Evans universities.

“This event was put together years ago by Tom Paluck, Rick Peterson and Jerry Moore. Their organizations worked together to prioritize the caddie scholars,” Harrison said. “The event has been a great success, celebrating caddies in the State of New Jersey and the east coast. It’s a wonderful partnership between the NJSGA and other golf groups in New Jersey.

“The event has raised a lot of money, nearly $400,000, and this is the first time New Jersey will have two Evans Scholars currently in college at the same time,” Harrison said.

One former Evans Scholar among about a dozen alumni, was David Folkes of Long Valley, a member at Metedeconk National G.C. in Jackson and Black Oak G.C. in Long Valley. Folkes is greens chairman and vice president at Metedeconk and represented the club in the recent Hoffman Cup matches.

Folkes grew up in Blaine, Minnesota, and was one of three Folkes siblings (brothers Bill and Bob) to become Evans Scholars at the University of Minnesota. Ironically, David’s dad, Fred, who grew up in West Orange, N.J., and met his wife while playing minor league baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers organization in St. Paul, Minn.

“We were in the Evans House at Minnesota, helped each other out, and had true camaraderie and a shared experience. We all came from little means,” said Folkes, who has been successful in commercial insurance. “Golf brought you together. We all had that caddie bond. It’s great to give back and thankfully, have the means to give back.”

Folkes’s sons, Brian and Brandon, both caddied at Panther Valley Golf and Country Club in Allamuchy. Brian won the club championship at Black Oak in 2013. Brandon caddied with Pat Wilson, who recently qualified for the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.

Evans universities are located primarily in the Midwest and many represent the Big 10 Conference. Notre Dame is the newest member. It is hoped with the addition of Rutgers University to the Big 10, and possibly to the Western Golf Association, that someday many more New Jersey caddies will have an opportunity to earn Evans scholarships.

Since the Evans’ inception in 1930, the Foundation has generated over $100 million in scholarship awards to more than 10,000 recipients. The East Coast Evans Classic has contributed well over $360,000 since 2003 and boasts the successes of New Jersey scholars Sean Thornton and Tommy Marcus.

Caddie scholarships have become a primary addition to the world of golf in not only New Jersey, but throughout the country. On the East Coast, the NJSGA has become one of the stuanchest associations to work with Evans Scholars.

The NJSGA Caddie Scholarship Foundation also supports caddies who display a great academic performance, financial need, and quality service as a caddie. This year, the NJSGA Caddie Scholarship Foundation will award 198 caddies who will receive a total of $835,168.

The first full-tuition Evans Scholars caddies from New Jersey was the graduated Sean Thornton of Green Brook Country Club who also attended the University of Michigan.

Along with the NJSGA Caddie Foundation, the event will raise money towards future Evans Scholars that display the same character that Marcus, Thornton, Citrin, and the past recipients have displayed.

“It is a definitely a remarkable experience I’ll remember the rest of my life. I am spreading the word about the Evans Scholarship and the NJSGA Caddie Scholarship. My overall message is that if there is one thing in life you are passionate about, put 100 percent effort into pursuing it, and you can use it to shape your future,” Citrin said.