Rolling Green caddie earns Chick Evans scholarship

Amid all of the college materials sent to 18-year-old Hale Petersen of Arlington Heights was came a letter worth waiting for: an announcement from the Western Golf Association awarding him a Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship.

Petersen, a Hersey High School senior, received the letter last week. All at once, his worries about affording college were over.

The Evans Scholarship is a full-tuition grant, renewable up to four years. Combined with living in the Evans Scholar House, at one of the 14 universities across the country, and it amounts to a full ride for the recipient.

But it didn't come easily.

Petersen has worked as a caddie at Rolling Green Country Club for the last four summers, typically rising at 5:30 a.m. every morning during the summer just to make the draw.

Just to apply for the scholarship, his club membership had to nominate him and he also had to demonstrate strong academics, financial need, character, and an excellent caddie record.

"It's been a great job," said Petersen, who also plays soccer and wrestles at Hersey. "You're out in the open, in the fresh air, and it's taught me responsibility, and how to manage money."

As he rose through the ranks to become an "honor caddie," Petersen added more loops, and often doubled, or went out a second time after caddying a first, 18-hole loop. Last summer alone, he figures he logged 85 loops.

"We're thrilled, he's a wonderful young man," said his caddie master, Linda Ruff of Arlington Heights. "He has been an honor caddie, of the highest integrity."

In April, Petersen will return to the club to help with caddie training, where he leads a group of new recruits, teaching them the proper etiquette on the course, and shows them how to follow the flight of the ball.

He also adds some of the intangibles about working the job.

"One of the first things I tell them, is to stick with it," said Petersen, the middle of three children of Robert and Suzanne Petersen. "If you put the time in, it definitely rewards you in the end."

For Petersen, that means a full tuition ride to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., where he also earned its Presidential Scholarship, to study electrical and computer engineering.