Thanks to a program for golf caddies, a University of Iowa student was among the first in the state to get a full-ride scholarship.
The University of Iowa’s inaugural “Chick Evans” scholarship class.
Hawkey Sophomore Raul Rincon was one of ten awardees. Rincon and his parents immigrated to the United States from Venezuela in 2017. Rincon had no idea what golf was at the moment.
“My parents decided it was the right idea to move and start over,” he said.
Rincon stated that he began caddying as a student in high school to supplement his income. Continuing his schooling was the furthest thing from his mind at the time.
“I wasn’t even planning to go to college because of the funds that my parents provided and the funds that I had,” he said. “It just wasn’t an option.”
That is, until his junior year of high school, when he discovered the Western Golf Association’s “Chick Evans” scholarship for high school golf caddies. Rincon received full scholarships as well as housing to study business marketing.
“it was life-changing, it really was,” he said. “When I came to the U.S., I didn’t know what college was or what university was,” said Rincon.
Evans Scholars organizers hope to see more students like Rincon who contribute to the growth of young caddying in Iowa.
“Currently, youth caddying is not a really well-known occupation in the summer,” said WGA volunteer director Matt Blaylock. “We like to say it’s the best youth summer job there is.”
Rincon planned to use this chance to support not just his immediate family but also his extended family in Venezuela.
“It opens up a lot of doors,” he said. “I can get a good job, and thanks to my degree and the connections I have made, It’s going to lead me to help my sibling and help my family come to the U.S.”
