Latest news with #LosAngelesCountryClub
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
How three L.A. students turned working as caddies into life-changing scholarships
Saint Monica Prep students Macayla Story, Johnnie García and Nicolás Vallejo received life-changing scholarships thanks to golf. Story vividly remembers the moment she received the acceptance letter. She was in Palm Springs when her mother called to tell her that a large envelope had arrived. The envelope contained a letter informing her she would be receiving the $125,000 Chick Evans Scholarship, a program supported by the Western Golf Assn. that will allow her to attend a university without having to worry about housing costs or tuition for four years. Advertisement 'When I came back, I opened it with her by my side. I showed her the letter and she started crying. It was an incredible moment,' Story told L.A. Times en Español. Story traveled to Chicago to work as a caddie for two months at Skokie Country Club, and Garcia and Vallejo did the program locally with Los Angeles Country Club. All they were guaranteed was pay for their work and a chance to apply for the lucrative scholarships. The three students went through an interview process along with other applicants in February. The scholarship winners were announced in April. They were recognized by the largest privately funded scholarship program in the country. The scholarships are awarded to student caddies who demonstrate academic excellence, financial need, dedication on the golf course and exemplary character. Raised by a single mother, Story always knew that financing college would be a challenge. The scholarship represents not only an academic opportunity, but also a huge relief for her family. Advertisement Story's entry into the world of golf was, as she puts it, 'by accident.' She knew nothing about the sport when she enrolled in the summer program. 'I was very shy; I didn't know if I was going to make friends or what I was supposed to do as a caddie,' she recalls. But over time, she not only adjusted, but grew personally and professionally. 'As a teenager in Los Angeles, it's very easy to get lost in cellphone screens all summer. But being in the field helped me socialize, be outdoors, talk to adults. It made me grow up.' Los Angeles Country Club, which hosted the 2023 U.S. Open, hosted Garcia and Vallejo. They became the club's first scholarship recipients in its first year participating in the scholarship program. The caddie experience also began with uncertainty for Garcia, but it soon became a challenge that he took seriously. Advertisement Read more: Bradford family: Giants in height and volleyball 'At first, I didn't know anything about golf. I just wanted to do well because I understood that there was a real possibility of going to college without my family having to go into debt,' said Garcia, 18. During three summers, Garcia worked five days a week, accumulating more than 100 rounds as a caddie, one of the conditions for applying for the Evans Scholarship. 'It was heavy, but I learned to be responsible, to be on time, to have initiative. You learn to read people, to understand what they need without them saying it.' Garcia, whose father is Mexican and mother is from Belize, comes from a family that has worked hard to provide him with opportunities. Advertisement 'My mom works with foster kids. She helps assign cases to them. She basically helps them find a suitable home for them, because I know what a family means to me and I know she loves what she does. And my dad basically works with FedEx. He drives to Burbank every day for the whole time there, just working,' Garcia said proudly. Vallejo also dedicated three summers to the caddie program, getting up early, enduring the heat and carrying heavy bags, always with a fixed idea in mind. 'I knew the scholarship existed, but not that I was going to get it. I just focused on doing my best,' recalled Vallejo, who is a second-generation student of Mexican descent. Read more: Prep talk: Seven of eight women's College World Series teams have SoCal players Advertisement 'My mom was a homemaker and my dad worked in a grocery store. We didn't have much, but they were always there,' Vallejo recounted. 'They always worked hard enough to send me to private school, to give me a good education and for me to have everything I wanted, everything I could have. So I would say our financial situation could be a lot worse. ... This money is going to help a lot in the long run.' Saint Monica Prep Principal James Spellman celebrates the scholarships as a sign that the school's educational model is working. 'These students represent the best of our community: resilience, hard work and real aspirations to excel. Many of our students are from families facing economic hardship, but with the right support, they achieve great things,' Spellman said. Spellman notes that the school has had a close relationship with the Caddie Academy for many years, dating back to when the program decided to expand into the Los Angeles area. Advertisement Read more: Prep talk: Grant Leary of Crespi is a golfer to watch 'At first, for many parents, golf was an unknown world. But when they saw that their children could earn a summer income and have access to a scholarship like this, they were convinced,' he said. 'Beyond the money, the students acquire skills that will serve them all their lives: responsibility, leadership, communication skills. It's a well-rounded education." The Chick Evans Scholarship has been awarded to more than 12,000 caddies since its inception. There are more than 1,190 scholarship students at 24 universities across the country. For three Angelenos, the journey began with a backpack on their shoulders, walking in the sun, carrying other people's golf clubs. Now they can consider attending colleges that would have otherwise been out of reach. 'Originally the student had to go to Chicago for the summer and the beauty of that is they work and make $3,000 to $4,000 as caddies, and they come back with it to help their families,' Spellman said. 'These students here, all three of them are very similar, but they're very different. And they're great ambassadors, not only for the school, but for the program because they're athletic, they're outgoing, they have good grades. They weren't golfers before, so they really took advantage of the opportunity and stuck with it. They did well in the classroom and that was a big part of it too.' Advertisement This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
How three L.A. students turned working as caddies into life-changing scholarships
Saint Monica Prep students Macayla Story, Johnnie García and Nicolás Vallejo received life-changing scholarships thanks to golf. Story vividly remembers the moment she received the acceptance letter. She was in Palm Springs when her mother called to tell her that a large envelope had arrived. The envelope contained a letter informing her she would be receiving the $125,000 Chick Evans Scholarship, a program supported by the Western Golf Assn. that will allow her to attend a university without having to worry about housing costs or tuition for four years. 'When I came back, I opened it with her by my side. I showed her the letter and she started crying. It was an incredible moment,' Story told L.A. Times en Español. Story traveled to Chicago to work as a caddie for two months at Skokie Country Club, and Garcia and Vallejo did the program locally with Los Angeles Country Club. All they were guaranteed was pay for their work and a chance to apply for the lucrative scholarships. The three students went through an interview process along with other applicants in February. The scholarship winners were announced in April. They were recognized by the largest privately funded scholarship program in the country. The scholarships are awarded to student caddies who demonstrate academic excellence, financial need, dedication on the golf course and exemplary character. Raised by a single mother, Story always knew that financing college would be a challenge. The scholarship represents not only an academic opportunity, but also a huge relief for her family. Story's entry into the world of golf was, as she puts it, 'by accident.' She knew nothing about the sport when she enrolled in the summer program. 'I was very shy; I didn't know if I was going to make friends or what I was supposed to do as a caddie,' she recalls. But over time, she not only adjusted, but grew personally and professionally. 'As a teenager in Los Angeles, it's very easy to get lost in cellphone screens all summer. But being in the field helped me socialize, be outdoors, talk to adults. It made me grow up.' Los Angeles Country Club, which hosted the 2023 U.S. Open, hosted Garcia and Vallejo. They became the club's first scholarship recipients in its first year participating in the scholarship program. The caddie experience also began with uncertainty for Garcia, but it soon became a challenge that he took seriously. 'At first, I didn't know anything about golf. I just wanted to do well because I understood that there was a real possibility of going to college without my family having to go into debt,' said Garcia, 18. During three summers, Garcia worked five days a week, accumulating more than 100 rounds as a caddie, one of the conditions for applying for the Evans Scholarship. 'It was heavy, but I learned to be responsible, to be on time, to have initiative. You learn to read people, to understand what they need without them saying it.' Garcia, whose father is Mexican and mother is from Belize, comes from a family that has worked hard to provide him with opportunities. 'My mom works with foster kids. She helps assign cases to them. She basically helps them find a suitable home for them, because I know what a family means to me and I know she loves what she does. And my dad basically works with FedEx. He drives to Burbank every day for the whole time there, just working,' Garcia said proudly. Vallejo also dedicated three summers to the caddie program, getting up early, enduring the heat and carrying heavy bags, always with a fixed idea in mind. 'I knew the scholarship existed, but not that I was going to get it. I just focused on doing my best,' recalled Vallejo, who is a second-generation student of Mexican descent. 'My mom was a homemaker and my dad worked in a grocery store. We didn't have much, but they were always there,' Vallejo recounted. 'They always worked hard enough to send me to private school, to give me a good education and for me to have everything I wanted, everything I could have. So I would say our financial situation could be a lot worse. ... This money is going to help a lot in the long run.' Saint Monica Prep Principal James Spellman celebrates the scholarships as a sign that the school's educational model is working. 'These students represent the best of our community: resilience, hard work and real aspirations to excel. Many of our students are from families facing economic hardship, but with the right support, they achieve great things,' Spellman said. Spellman notes that the school has had a close relationship with the Caddie Academy for many years, dating back to when the program decided to expand into the Los Angeles area. 'At first, for many parents, golf was an unknown world. But when they saw that their children could earn a summer income and have access to a scholarship like this, they were convinced,' he said. 'Beyond the money, the students acquire skills that will serve them all their lives: responsibility, leadership, communication skills. It's a well-rounded education.' The Chick Evans Scholarship has been awarded to more than 12,000 caddies since its inception. There are more than 1,190 scholarship students at 24 universities across the country. For three Angelenos, the journey began with a backpack on their shoulders, walking in the sun, carrying other people's golf clubs. Now they can consider attending colleges that would have otherwise been out of reach. 'Originally the student had to go to Chicago for the summer and the beauty of that is they work and make $3,000 to $4,000 as caddies, and they come back with it to help their families,' Spellman said. 'These students here, all three of them are very similar, but they're very different. And they're great ambassadors, not only for the school, but for the program because they're athletic, they're outgoing, they have good grades. They weren't golfers before, so they really took advantage of the opportunity and stuck with it. They did well in the classroom and that was a big part of it too.' This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.
Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
US Open champion apologises for temper tantrum that marred US PGA Championship
Wyndham Clark turned and launched his driver into an advertising hoarding on the 16th hole on the final day of the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, so furious was he with his tee shot Wyndham Clark has issued an apology for his temper tantrum that marred Sunday's final round of the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Clark, the 2023 US Open champion, turned and launched his driver into an advertising hoarding after finding a bunker from his tee shot on the 16th hole. In a statement on X, Clark wrote: 'I would like to sincerely apologise for my behaviour yesterday on Hole 16. As professionals, we are expected to remain professional even when frustrated and I unfortunately let my emotions get the best of me. 'My actions were uncalled for and completely inappropriate, making it clear that I have things I need to work on. 'I hold myself to a high standard, trying to always play for something bigger than myself, and yesterday I fell short of those standards. For that I am truly sorry. I promise to better the way I handle my frustrations on the course going forward, and hope you can all forgive me in due time.' Clark had made a poor start to his round and had just fallen further back after scoring a bogey on the par-five 15th. The American went on to finish in joint 50th place, wrapping up another frustrating performance in a major championship. Clark has not finished in the top 30 since his triumph at the Los Angeles Country Club. Meanwhile, Europe's Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald was impressed with the performance of Sweden's Alex Noren, who partnered Scottie Scheffler in the final group on Sunday, in just his second competitive appearance since October due to a hamstring injury. 'He's been out for a long time but his play up until his injury was pretty solid,' Donald said of Noren, who finished in a tie for 17th after a closing 76. He's certainly someone to look at, someone who has played a Ryder Cup before. "He works hard and sometimes having a break you come back pretty refreshed. 'I had dinner with him three or four weeks ago before he was starting up again and that's what I told him; there's a good chance you could come out firing because sometimes you miss the game and you have a bit more gratitude and you're in a better place.'
The Herald Scotland
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Wyndham Clark apologises for throwing driver at US PGA Championship
In a statement on X, Clark wrote: 'I would like to sincerely apologise for my behaviour yesterday on Hole 16. 'As professionals, we are expected to remain professional even when frustrated and I unfortunately let my emotions get the best of me. 'My actions were uncalled for and completely inappropriate, making it clear that I have things I need to work on. 'I hold myself to a high standard, trying to always play for something bigger than myself, and yesterday I fell short of those standards. Wyndham Clark has apologised for his outburst at the PGA Championship (Malcolm Mackenzie/PA) 'For that I am truly sorry. I promise to better the way I handle my frustrations on the course going forward, and hope you can all forgive me in due time.' Clark had made a poor start to his round and had just fallen further back after scoring a bogey on the par-five 15th. He went on to finish in joint 50th place, wrapping up another frustrating performance in a major championship. Clark has not finished in the top 30 since his triumph at the Los Angeles Country Club.
Powys County Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Wyndham Clark apologises for throwing driver at US PGA Championship
Wyndham Clark has issued an apology for his temper tantrum that marred Sunday's final round of the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Clark, the 2023 US Open champion, turned and launched his driver into an advertising hoarding after finding a bunker from his tee shot on the 16th hole. In a statement on X, Clark wrote: 'I would like to sincerely apologise for my behaviour yesterday on Hole 16. — Wyndham Clark (@Wyndham_Clark) May 19, 2025 'As professionals, we are expected to remain professional even when frustrated and I unfortunately let my emotions get the best of me. 'My actions were uncalled for and completely inappropriate, making it clear that I have things I need to work on. 'I hold myself to a high standard, trying to always play for something bigger than myself, and yesterday I fell short of those standards. 'For that I am truly sorry. I promise to better the way I handle my frustrations on the course going forward, and hope you can all forgive me in due time.' Clark had made a poor start to his round and had just fallen further back after scoring a bogey on the par-five 15th. He went on to finish in joint 50th place, wrapping up another frustrating performance in a major championship. Clark has not finished in the top 30 since his triumph at the Los Angeles Country Club.
