‘I was in shock’. La Grange student recalls selection as Chick Evans Scholar

It’s still sinking in for Jack Harrington that in August he will begin a free four-year ride at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Harrington, 18, of La Grange is a recipient of a Chick Evans scholarship, which pays for his tuition and room and board.

“It’s crazy,” Harrington said.

It’s also a select group. There are 1,190 caddies enrolled at 24 universities nationwide as Evans Scholars, according to the Western Golf Association, which sponsors the Chick Evans foundation.

More than 12,285 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. in 1930.

Harrington is among 130-plus caddies in the Chicago area to be named a scholar this year, the WGA said.

Harrington started on this journey in 2022 when he began working as a caddie at Chicago Highlands Golf Club in Westchester after his freshman year of high school at Lyons Township. He transferred to St. Patrick High School in Chicago his sophomore year.

“To be honest, I heard how much money kids were making. That interested me. I wanted to do something active, walking around. And I enjoy talking with people,” he said.

Now a senior at St. Patrick, Harrington soon came to know that it can be so much more. Harrington learned that from Tim McVady, a Chicago Highlands member whom, he said, serves on the Chick Evans board of directors.

“He’s the guy you first caddie for, to show the new caddies the ropes. ... He talked about it, got me thinking about it. When I got to junior and senior years, I had more in-depth conversations about it with him,” Harrington said.

At a lunch before the application interview, McVady told Harrington to “speak from the heart, eye contact, be confident not cocky, have a firm handshake and to be myself.”

Harrington took the advice to heart. And in late December, a large envelope bearing the good news was delivered from FedEx to the Harrington home.

“My mom went out to get cookies delivered from a friend and there was a FedEx envelope. I was, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s definitely it.’ It was special. ... I was in shock,” he said.

On April 13, he and his parents will visit the Chick Evans House on the Illinois campus for an orientation session where he will meet fellow Chick Evans scholars.

Asked about his college plan if he didn’t get the scholarship, he said, “Honestly, I didn’t have another game plan. I kind of put all my eggs in one basket, hope for the best.”

Two other St. Patrick students, Jack Nelson and Kasper Kwela, got the same scholarship. Harrington hopes to room with Nelson at Illinois where he will major in agriculture and economics.

Before that, he has another summer walking the “real hilly” Chicago Highlands course, sometimes carrying two bags.

“It’s not the easiest walk. And there’s not a lot of shade. A links style course,” he said.

He wouldn’t want any other summer job.

“All the guys there are really kind. It’s been a good environment,” he said.

There’s no caddie shack at the course. Waiting for a loop – the term that describes 18 holes with a golfer – caddies “sit in the basement where the golf carts are. There’s no internet, nothing. I bring a book.”

He recalled with a laugh when he and the caddie master one summer day had to rescue golfers when a huge downpour hit.

There’s something special about golf, and it’s more than paying for college.

“It’s an escape,” Harrington said. “When I play with my friends, I forget about the five-page essay I have due the next week. It’s the perfect combination of fun and competitiveness. You can make fun of your friends, make a little side bet. Even if you play bad, there’s that one shot that brings you back. ... I don’t even check my phone.”

With three years of experience, his course knowledge is valued by club members.

“One time, I was caddying for one of my regulars in match play. On the last hole, he had to hit a putt to go extra holes. It was an uphill putt. I told him [to aim] two holes right. He nailed it. He ended up winning.”

So did Harrington. “I got a pretty good tip,” he said.

Another time, he pinch-hit for a member who had to take a business call.

“I don’t know what happened. I just played well. I got a birdie on the hole. He was happy with that. Especially on that course. It’s tough,” Harrington said.

One thing he won’t miss is seeing long garden snakes slithering over his shoes when in the thick, British Open-style rough.

Jack’s father, John Harrington IV, the principal at St. Patrick High School, said he “couldn’t be prouder.”

“He took advantage of the opportunity,” John Harrington IV said. “So many people, they don’t. He did. He saw it was a big deal, had a lot of people pulling for him. He didn’t miss on that. He did a great job.”

Jack’s mother, Annie Harrington, a Realtor, said she cried tears of joy when the good news arrived on their doorstep that winter’s night.

“I still can hardly believe it. When we go there [Sunday] maybe it will start to feel real,” she said. “It’s a dream come true for our family.”

She is hoping Jack’s younger brothers, Charlie and Brady, follow in his footstep. Both are caddies.

Funds for the Evans Scholarship come mostly from contributions by more than 36,000 supporters across the country who are members of the Evans Scholars Par Club program, the WGA said in a news release.

Evans Scholars Alumni donate more than $15 million annually, and all proceeds from the BMW Championship, the penultimate PGA Tour Playoff event in the PGA Tour’s FedExCup competition, benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation.

This year, the BMW Championship, which has been played in the Chicago area, will be held Aug. 12-17 at Caves Valley Golf Club near Baltimore.