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GROSSE POINTE WOODS — Continuing its legacy as the No. 1 golf club for Evans Scholars, the Western Golf Association awarded three Evans Scholarships to caddies at the Lochmoor Club in Grosse Pointe Woods. The Lochmoor Club’s caddie program works in conjunction with the WGA, and over 315 caddies nationwide were awarded scholarships this year through their respective golf courses.
Grosse Pointe North seniors Chris Murray, Jacob Simcox and Rita Shemmai were awarded the $125,000 scholarships to go toward four years of tuition and housing at the University of Michigan or Michigan State University.
“It’s really an unbelievable scholarship for these kids; it’s really life changing,” WGA Director and Lochmoor Caddie Chair Blake Johnson said.
The WGA Evans Scholarship, which was founded in 1930, is a scholarship awarded to young caddies throughout the United States, with 21 universities nationwide enrolling Evans Scholars.
The caddies are evaluated on four major components in order to be considered for the scholarship: a strong caddie record, excellent academics, financial need and outstanding character.
Scholarship winners are expected to caddie for at least two years, complete their junior year of high school with a B average or higher in college preparatory classes, and represent Lochmoor with strong character and leadership.
If caddies meet the criteria, they apply on the WGA website.
Lochmoor has a history of graduating WGA Evans Scholars, ranking No. 1 in current Evans Scholars in school (10) and all-time Evans Scholars alumni (156) since Lochmoor began participating in the Evans Scholarship in the 1950s. Grosse Pointe North High School ranks second in current Evans Scholars in school (five).
Johnson said Lochmoor’s continued success in caddies being awarded the Evans Scholarship is built on the caddie program’s foundation.
“We’ve kind of built a mechanism and things to drive that success,” Johnson said.
For more information on the Lochmoor Club Caddie Program and the WGA Evans Scholarship, visit www.lochmoorclub.com/golf/caddie-program.
Meet the winners:
Chris Murray
High school: Grosse Pointe North
Years at Lochmoor Club: 4+
Caddie rank: Honor (ranks are determined based on rated performances after each round)
Caddie rounds: 200
College: University of Michigan
Note from Blake Johnson: “Watching him come into his own and come out of his shell over the three or four years as a caddie has been really fun to watch. He’s really become a strong young man.”
How Murray found out: “I had just got home from school, and I saw my mom at the kitchen table talking with my grandma on the phone, crying. After she finished talking to my grandma, she showed me the envelope where it told me that I won the scholarship. I didn’t know what to feel in the moment; it was so unreal that I stood in shock for, like, five minutes trying to process what just happened.”
Rita Shemmai
High school: Grosse Pointe North
Years at Lochmoor Club: 5
Caddie rank: Honor
Caddie rounds: 300
College: University of Michigan
Note from Blake Johnson: “I remember Rita at training, and she was so small when she started training. The golf bag was bigger than she was, and I remember thinking, ‘Man, I don’t know how she’s going to do this.’ She wrestled that bag down the fairway.”
How Shemmai found out: “I found out that I won the scholarship from a package that I received from the WGA in the mail. Once I opened it and read the letter, I felt a rush of joy, thankfulness and excitement.”
Jacob Simcox
High school: Grosse Pointe North
Years at Lochmoor Club: 4
Caddie rank: Honor
Caddie rounds: 250
College: Michigan State University
Note from Blake Johnson: “We’ve watched Jacob become a confident young man throughout his years with us.”
How Simcox found out: “I found out when I got a letter in the mail. It was nerve-wracking receiving the mail and opening it, but once I did, I was met with a large wave of joy.”
