FRENCH LICK — Two local students from the French Lick/West Baden community have parlayed their caddying jobs at French Lick Resort into full-ride college scholarships.
Macy Hall and Owen Weisensteiner, both seniors at Springs Valley High School, have been named Evans Scholars for 2023. Each year there are around 300 Evans Scholarship winners nationally, and Hall and Weisensteiner are among 18 students from Indiana selected this year.
Established in 1930 by the Western Golf Association and successful amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr., the Evans Scholars Foundation awards full tuition and housing college scholarships to high school caddies who demonstrate outstanding character, leadership, and scholastic achievement. Hall and Weisensteiner are the 13th and 14th junior caddies representing The Pete Dye Course and French Lick Resort to earn the prestigious Evans Scholarship.
In Indiana, Evans Scholars can choose between Indiana University and Purdue University to continue their education. Hall plans to attend IU to study nursing, while Weisensteiner will attend Purdue University; he is undecided on a major and is going into their exploratory program. Before heading to college this fall, both will be in their third year caddying this summer at The Pete Dye Course at French Lick.
“Owen and Macy are both outstanding caddies who show a lot of ambition,” said Dave Harner, French Lick Resort’s Director of Golf. Harner also emphasized that since 2009 – when The Pete Dye Course opened and paved the way for caddying opportunities – there have only been two other years (2011 and 2015) with multiple Dye Course caddies winning the Evans Scholarship.
“There’s a select number of clubs in Indiana that have caddies – Crooked Stick, Orchard Ridge, Fort Wayne Country Club, Sycamore Hills – all those are in larger cities. To have two kids out of a rural community like ours apply and be successful is special because they’re up against a lot of talented applicants,” Harner added. “We’re really, really proud to have two Evans Scholars this year. Both are very deserving candidates who have dedicated their high school years to caddying, and their hard work has paid off.”
Weisensteiner and Hall are four-year members of their respective golf teams at Springs Valley, both helping their squads to regional appearances in the most recent 2022 boys’ spring season and 2022 girls’ fall season.
Owen Weisensteiner is the son of Matt and Misty Weisensteiner. He ran on the cross-country team as a senior and is a member of the school’s National Honor Society. During the golf offseason, he has also worked at West Baden Springs Hotel as a server assistant at Café Sinclair’s and Ballard’s in the Atrium.
Macy Hall is the daughter of Jeremy and Quiana Hall. She is a three-sport athlete at Springs Valley. She is a four-time regional qualifier in golf and a two-time regional qualifier in the high jump for the track and field team. She is also a starter on the Blackhawks’ sectional champion girls’ basketball team and participates in cheerleading as well.
Past Evans Scholars from The Pete Dye Course at French Lick:
2009 – Thomas Harner 2011 – Samantha Humbert 2011 – Clay Orr
2012 – Connor Hammond 2013 – Chad Phillips
2014 – Beau Schneider 2015 – Michael Fullington 2015 – Ashton Knies
2016 – Kobi Knies
2017 – Llogan Russell
2020 – Colby Stafford 2022 – Marcus McGuire
