Who We Are

Championships since 1899, Scholarships since 1930

Founded in 1899, the Western Golf Association conducts championships for professional and amateur golfers, promotes the use of caddies, and supports the Evans Scholars Foundation, which awards college scholarships to caddies with limited financial means.

The WGA is a driving force in the game, a respected charitable cause for thousands of supporters, and a distinguished leader in the nation’s golf community.

Western Golf Association

The Western Golf Association was established by 11 Chicago-area golf clubs for the purpose of hosting tournaments. Today, 460 member clubs, organizations and affiliations are part of the WGA. Since its founding, it has hosted more than 300 championships for professional and amateur golfers from throughout the United States and the world.

The WGA conducts two amateur championships, the Western Junior and the Western Amateur, and runs the BMW Championship, the third of four PGA TOUR FedExCup Playoff events. Headquartered in Golf, Illinois, the organization also sponsors the nationally acclaimed Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship Program.

Evans Scholars Foundation

The WGA champions education through golf by supporting the Evans Scholars Foundation. Established by famed amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr., it provides full housing and tuition scholarships to deserving caddies across the country. For the academic year 2016-17, a record 935 caddies are enrolled in college on scholarship; there are more than 10,400 Evans Alumni across the country. Most Scholars attend one of the 15 universities where the Foundation operates a Scholarship House.

The Evans Foundation is funded by contributions from more than 30,000 Evans Scholars Par Club members across the country, as well as proceeds from the BMW Championship.