Hauling a golf bag around a golf course for more than 100 rounds has paid off big time for Angela Bowers.
Bowers, in Grade 12 at Reynolds Secondary, was named this week the recipient of the Victoria Golf Club’s 2018 Evans Caddie Scholarship. She becomes the first female in Canada to receive the Evans scholarship.
“Being awarded the Chick Evans Scholarship as the first female caddie in Canada is a life-changing event for me and my parents,” Bowers said in a statement.
Bowers receives a full four-year scholarship and will attend the University of Washington this fall to study Human Relations.
“It is giving me the opportunity to study at a university that I would not be able to attend without this scholarship.
“I am grateful to the Victoria Golf Club and the Chick Evans Scholarship program for giving me the chance to live up to my potential.”
Bowers became a caddie in Grade 8 and last year worked 120 rounds at Victoria Golf Club. She also impressed the selection committee with an excellent academic record and volunteer hours in the community, said Berne Neufeld, co-ordinator for the Evans Caddie Scholarship program at VCC.
“The requirement for the scholarship is not easy, so we are thrilled that, with the gentle prodding of a parent and the encouragement of school counsellors, she persisted,” said Neufeld, in a statement.
“With the bonds she has formed with club members and the clear vision she has for a dynamic future, we know Angela will continue to reward our trust in her talents and will soon fulfil her dreams of working with people to make a difference.”
The Evans Caddie Scholarship program began in 1930 in Chicago and the Victoria Golf Club was the first club in Canada to offer the program. For more information or to apply for the program, go to victoriagolf.com/club.
Bastion runners chase down wins
It was a Bastion sweep at the Island Race Series’ Port Alberni Paper Chase 15K on Sunday.
Bastion Run Club members Jackson Isnor and Jessica McKierahan were the men’s and women’s winners on a sunny day that saw more than 200 participants tackle the undulating, rural course.
Isnor hit the tape in 55:05, just 12 seconds ahead of runner-up Jerry Loeb of Campbell River.
McKierahan finished with a time of 1:04:37, a minute ahead of second-place finisher Yana Hempler.
The next stop for the Island Race series is the Comox Valley RV Half Marathon on March 24.
