Schenck Family Rewarded for Hard Work Through Caddying

Caddie Program

Hazeltine National Golf Club has had a strong caddie and Evans Scholar tradition since its inception in 1962. The Club is annually one of the biggest supporters of the Evans Scholar Foundation and caddies in the state. Since 1971 there have been 43 Evans Scholar Alumni from Hazeltine and in the 2020-2021 school year, there were three caddies from Hazeltine in the Evans Scholar House on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Among those three are two brothers, Brandon and Ryan Schenck, who started caddying at Hazeltine at a young age. Since then, they have not looked back. Brandon graduated in May with a degree in Computer Science and Ryan finished his freshman year with an intended degree in Finance.,
 
Brandon and Ryan were introduced to caddying through their mother, who heard about the opportunity through a family friend. When each of them turned 13, they signed up to caddie at Hazeltine not fully knowing what to expect. Through their hard work and dedication, they both left the caddie program as Evans Scholarship recipients. They both mentioned that their mom was the biggest influence on them receiving the Evans Scholarship as she really pushed them to go caddie as much as possible and to keep their grades up. Outside of their family, Brandon and Ryan mentioned that Chandler Withington, the Head Golf Professional at Hazeltine, who wrote letters of recommendation for the brothers, and Cheryl Schneider, a long-time Western Golf Association Director at Hazeltine, were the most impactful individuals to them receiving the Evans Scholarship. Chandler said, “It’s been great to walk alongside these two in their journeys as caddies and now as Evans Scholars. Brandon and Ryan are prepared to succeed in the days ahead of them because of their wonderful support system and the confidence they each have gained from caddying.” Cheryl added, “The Schneck family knows what it takes to be a Evans Scholar, they walk the walk every day and lead by example.”
 
Looking back at his time caddying, Brandon said, “It was a great first job. I was able to really learn and strengthen my communication and people skills. Beyond that, I was able to work outside and be part of a community at the caddie shack with my fellow caddies.” Ryan echoed what Brandon said about his experience, “It has helped tremendously with my communication skills, especially with successful adults. It has allowed me to network with businesspeople and even helped me land my first internship through a member at Hazeltine. It has set me up for success moving into the future!” Ryan was lucky enough to caddie for Condoleezza Rice at the KPMG Women’s PGA Pro-Am. He mentioned that she was a very nice person and good golfer – they used a lot of her shots in the scramble. He even received the Secretary of State Coin from her! Brandon and Ryan said that they learned the importance of a good attitude, hustling, positive energy, and knowledge of the course in being an excellent caddie. They both would highly recommend becoming a caddie as a first job.
 
Brandon and Ryan have enjoyed their experience as Evans Scholars in the Evans Scholarship House. As is a common theme with current and former Evans Scholars, they mentioned that the community aspect of the Evans Scholarship House is their favorite part of the scholarship. Brandon mentioned, “The Evans Scholarship meant everything to our family. It allowed me to graduate within four years debt free. The Evans Scholarship really emphasizes the Scholarship aspect – it gives you the necessary resources to be successful.” Regarding the Evans Scholarship, Ryan said, “It helped me with transition into college seamlessly. You get to connect with the upperclassman on a social and academic level and without the Evans Scholarship I would not have had that opportunity. It is a lifelong community and a lifelong scholarship.”
 
Following graduation, Brandon accepted a position at Optum as Technology Development Program Associate. As mentioned previously in the story, Ryan has an intern position this summer with DWC 401k Partners through a member at Hazeltine. They have two younger siblings, Lauryn and Bryson, who are planning on caddying at Hazeltine and hope to receive the Evans Scholarship in the future.