5 local senior caddies are Evans Scholarship recipients

Five local high school seniors who caddy at various golf courses in the area recently learned that their lives had changed for the better.

Henry Grauer (Huntley), Joey Moritz (Prairie Ridge), Declan Pivnicka (Marian Central), Jennifer Tapia (Woodstock) and Max Widhlam (Crystal Lake Central) were awarded Chick Evans Scholarships from the Western Golf Association.

An Evans scholarship runs for four years with an estimated value of $125,000. They are awarded to those who have a strong caddy record, excellent academics, outstanding character and who have financial need.

The program was founded by famous Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. and has 1,100 caddies enrolled at 22 universities across the nation. The four-year scholarships cover full housing and tuition for the recipients.

Here are the five local Evans Scholarship winners and their stories.

Henry Grauer

High school/golf course/college: Huntley, Crystal Lake Country Club, Iowa

What do you plan on majoring in college?

Grauer: I originally put down that I was going into chemistry, but I got an extraordinary opportunity to be a part of the pharmacy program at University of Iowa. This program will allow me to get my Doctor of Pharmacy degree in six years.

How did you get started caddying?

Grauer: My father introduced me to caddying because he was a caddy growing up and a caddymaster at Northmoor Country Club. He helped me understand the rules of golf and gave me tips on becoming the caddy I am today.

What makes a good caddy?

Grauer: A good caddy is a person that can act professionally but also has a sense of humor and outgoing personality. Also, being able to understand the rules of golf and assisting game strategy with a golfer.

What do you like most about caddying?

Grauer: Caddying allows me to spend time outdoors and away from my everyday life. It gave me the opportunity to meet incredible people that has helped me grow throughout my high school career.

What was your reaction when you won?

Grauer: I received a text from my mother saying that the envelope has arrived. Unfortunately, I was at school, so I was eagerly waiting to go home. When I opened the envelope and saw that I received the Evans Scholarship a wave of relief and excitement went throughout my body. The biggest shock was that I was going to attend Iowa. I will be among one of the first Evan Scholars to attend Iowa. That will give me the opportunity to create a new legacy of Evans Scholars at that school.

Joey Moritz

High school/golf course/college: Prairie Ridge, Barrington Hills Country Club, Missouri

What do you plan on majoring in in college?

Moritz: Nursing/pre-nursing in college, but my goal is to become a flight medic after I have a couple of years experience in an [emergency] room because I am really interested in pre-hospital care (especially like paramedics and firefighting).

How did you get started caddying?

Moritz: I started caddying because I was looking for a fun job for the summer, and my brother’s girlfriend, Grace Fitzgerald, told me how great it was at Barrington Hills Country Club, where she worked as a lifeguard and saw all the caddies on the course. But without a doubt the person who helped me the most was another caddy named Kevin Ortiz. He didn’t have to, but he was always getting everyone ready and reminding people of who their member was for the day and really was a blessing in disguise for anyone who was just joining.

What makes a good caddy?

Moritz: The key to a good caddy is not a ton of golf knowledge or being a really good golfer or having a ton of experience like most people think. The best caddies have a innate sense of self-control and great social skills and are almost a therapist because they have to read a group of golfers and react to any and every situation. What I have seen in the three years at BHCC is that the caddies who have great social skills can surpass a caddy with double the experience just because the golf knowledge will come with experience, but the social skills have to be developed throughout your life and take a lot longer.

What do you like most about caddying?

Moritz: My favorite part about caddying is that I get to spend my summers outside with a ton of great influences and also some really great friends I’ve made, which may be a little selfish, but nothing gets better than getting a little tan and talking to some people with some great life experiences.

What was your reaction when you won?

Moritz: When I won, I was ecstatic for the rest of the week because I just couldn’t believe that I was not only going to college now, but on one of the best scholarships in the nation. It was unbelievable. The high you get from knowing you are one of the few to receive an Evans Scholarship is indescribable and can only be known by people who have gotten it themselves.

Declan Pivnicka

High school/golf course/college: Marian Central, Bull Valley Country Club, Missouri

What do you plan on majoring in in college?

Pivnicka: Business.

How did you get started caddying?

Pivnicka: I started caddying because all of my older siblings have been caddies, and I wanted to be like them and follow in their footsteps. The people who helped me the most were my bosses because they pushed me and taught me many valuable skills that helped me as a caddy as well as in other aspects of my life.

What makes a good caddy?

Pivnicka: I think good caddies are disciplined, confident and decisive. Collectively, these characteristics help caddies find success on and off the course.

What do you like most about caddying?

Pivnicka: It is the people I get to meet. I have learned so much about the members at my club, and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them.

What was your reaction when you won?

Pivnicka: I was absolutely thrilled. I was just in shock because this is such a life-changing scholarship that I am very thankful to receive. When I found out the good news, I immediately called all my siblings to share the excitement with them.

Jennifer Tapia

High school/golf course/college: Woodstock, Bull Valley Country Club, Illinois-Chicago

What do you plan on majoring in in college?

Tapia: Mathematics in secondary education.

How did you get started caddying?

Tapia: I had heard of caddying through family friends and my brother; therefore, I decided to work as a caddy. A person who has helped me out through caddying has been Mr. [Thomas] O’Malley. Every weekend, he stood at the tee box, making sure I was ready to go.

What makes a good caddy?

Tapia: A positive attitude and hustle make a good caddy.

What do you like most about caddying?

Tapia: What I like the most about caddying is that every day is a different experience.

What was your reaction when you won?

Tapia: When I opened my letter and read that I had won the Evans Scholarship, I felt a sense of relief. All my hard work paid off.

Max Widhalm

High school/golf course/college: Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake Country Club, Iowa

What do you plan on majoring in in college?

Widhalm: I plan on majoring in computer science. Ever since my brother built me my first computer in second grade, I have always felt fascinated by them and wanted to see what I could create.

How did you get started caddying?

Widhalm: My older brother Kurt started caddying when he was 13 years old, so when it was my time, I saw an opportunity to follow in his footsteps. On top of that, I also found a huge goal to work toward for the next four years. Everyone at the club helped me as a caddy, but if there were just one person, I would have to say Evan Neuhart, a 2022 Evans Scholar (from Woodstock), was one of the greatest mentors I’ve ever had.

What makes a good caddy?

Widhalm: A good caddy is someone who puts in the effort to be a hard worker and can push through tough loops, but is also someone who is real. A good caddy isn’t a robot who simply carries out tasks like cleaning clubs, they need to have a real connection with their golfer and make meaningful conversation.

What do you like most about caddying?

Widhalm: The people that I work with/for at the Crystal Lake Country Club are the reason I continue to return as a caddy every season. They give me something to look forward to, even when I may have a hard time or when the weather is really rough.

What was your reaction when you won?

Widhalm: The day that my letter came in, I could not stop being nervous. In the middle of the day, I got a text from the other Evans Scholar at CLCC, Henry Grauer, that he found out he received the gift of a lifetime. So when I heard that, my heart rate peaked, knowing that my letter may be at home when I finish school for the day. I went about my day as usual after that until I got home and saw the envelope sitting right in front of me at the door. I grabbed the letter, began to open it, pulled out the paper, and started reading. I could not make it past the first line: “We are pleased to advise you that the WGA Scholarship Committee has awarded you a Chick Evans Scholarship for Caddies.” The moment I read that line, my dad just started screaming for joy and came to me to give a huge hug, continuously saying how proud he was. While everything was happening, I was still trying to process what I have read, and I am so incredibly overjoyed that it was true. After I opened that letter, I knew that all my hard work over the last four years had been worth it.