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Oakmont caddie bags prestigious scholarship
Sure, the recent Plum High School graduate gets tips after long days on the course. But no gratuity can come close to his latest form of compensation.
Guerrieri, 18, was one of three western Pennsylvania caddies to receive a full-tuition-paid Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship through the Western Golf Association.
Guerrieri will attend Penn State and major in biomedical engineering.
"I was so excited when I heard I won," Guerrieri said. "I didn't know exactly how prestigious it was, but then I talked to some people who have received it. It's supposed to be the biggest private scholarship in the U.S."
The other recipients are Casey Parrish of Mars (Valencia Field Club) and Patrick Zuza of Central Catholic (Pittsburgh Field Club).
The Evans Scholarship is named after Charles "Chick" Evans, who won 54 tournaments in his competitive career. He won the 1916 U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open. Evans decided to retain his amateur status and put his golf earnings into a trust fund for caddies in 1928, which later became sponsored by the Western Golf Association.
The scholarship is renewable for up to four years. More than 800 caddies are attending college on Evans scholarships, including 15 at Penn State.
Guerrieri has been a caddie at Oakmont since the summer of his ninth grade year.
He had also considered attending Case Western but already liked Penn State. The choice became easy, like a gimmee putt.
"You can't beat the environment and the campus (at Penn State)," he said. "And it's a great place for engineering."
Guerrieri plays golf but didn't play in high school, mostly because he was so involved with football.
He played football for four years, baseball up until his junior year and basketball for one season, as a freshman.
Guerrieri said he has learned more than the rules of golf as a caddie.
"It was my first job, and it was a great learning environment," Guerrieri said. "I learned money management and got along great with my fellow employees. And I have to say, it's helped my game. Reading the greens and Oakmont are different than anywhere else. I have caddied for some really good players."
Restrictions for the caddie scholarship entries were that caddies had to be in the top 25 of their class and have been caddieing for three years or more. He also had to write an essay and was interviewed before several board members.
