Founded in 1899 in Chicago, the Western Golf Association is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. In the following interview, WGA President and CEO John Kaczkowski shares his perspective on the WGA’s rich history and his vision for the organization’s future.
What stands out most to you as you look back on the Western Golf Association’s 125 years of service to golf?
John Kaczkowski: I was fortunate to be at the WGA in 1999 when we celebrated our 100th anniversary. I remember Sam Snead, Billy Casper and Frank Stranahan speaking at our Centennial Gala and seeing first-hand what a rich tradition the WGA has enjoyed over the years.
Looking back, I’d have to say I’m most impressed by the visionary leadership demonstrated by that small group of Chicago and Midwestern golfers who joined together in 1899 to form the WGA.
The USGA already had established itself as the pre-eminent golf authority in the United States. But the golfers in the Chicago area – then considered the Western region of the country – understandably felt that the USGA was too heavily focused on golf in the East. So, representatives from 11 Chicago-area clubs founded their own governing body and that same year sponsored our first two national championships: the Western Open and the Western Amateur.
That forward-looking spirit our founders demonstrated still resonates with us today. Our mission is to keep growing and giving back to the game.
How has the WGA’s service to golf evolved over the past 125 years?
JK: There’s been a tremendous amount of change over the past 125 years, and, in the 25 years I’ve been here, we’ve seen continued growth in our status as a national leader in championships, caddie development and scholarships.
We remain committed to building on our original mission of offering world-class amateur and professional golf championships at the national level. We now conduct six annual championships, including two in partnership with the Women’s Western Golf Association. That is at the core of all we do.
In 1941, we added to our mission when our Board of Directors revised our original constitution to make our top priority the welfare of caddies through the expansion of the then-fledging Evans Scholarship program. Our leaders at that time had witnessed the immense, positive impact the early scholarship awards had on the lives of caddies and wanted to give more young students this life-changing opportunity.
Today, our championships help us build awareness of, and provide financial support for, our caddie and scholarship programs. We’re the nation’s leading authority on caddies, and we oversee the Evans Scholars Foundation, providing full tuition and housing college scholarships to deserving students.
When did the WGA first begin supporting college scholarships for caddies?
JK: We owe our scholarship legacy to our partnership with famed amateur golfer Chick Evans, who grew up in Chicago and caddied at Edgewater Golf Club. Evans won the 1910 Western Open, eight Western Amateurs and drew national acclaim in 1916 when he became the first golfer to win the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur in the same year. In 1930, Chick and the WGA awarded the first Evans Scholarships to two Chicago-area caddies, who graduated as Evans Scholars at Northwestern University in 1934. This fall, we’ll have more than 1,190 caddies attending 24 universities nationwide. More than 12,000 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars.
What does the future look like for the WGA?
JK: We’re committed to building on our past success on all levels by conducting world-class national golf championships, expanding opportunities for youth caddies and significantly increasing the number of Evans Scholarships awarded annually.
We continue to explore ways to expand our championship offerings for both men and women at all levels of competition.
Also, we’ve been proactive in promoting and growing new caddie programs at clubs nationwide. And we’ve established our own WGA Caddie Academy program, introducing caddying to underserved high school students across the country, from Seattle to Washington, D.C.
Our significant growth from coast to coast means we’re building a foundation to provide hundreds more young men and women the life-changing opportunity of the Evans Scholarship. Our goal is to have more than 1,500 caddies in college by 2030.
The enthusiasm and support for our mission has never been greater. When golfers see how they can help young people build a solid work ethic and combine that with success in the classroom, the support comes naturally and passionately.
With increased revenue from our championships, the leadership of our more than 1,000 WGA directors and the generosity of the thousands of individual donors to the Evans Scholarship fund, I’m confident we’ll meet our goal.