As the game of golf continues to blossom in all avenues of emerging media, the opportunity for those entities to give back grows, as well.
That was evident earlier this month, when the ultra-popular No Laying Up Podcast awarded its first-ever scholarship in partnership with the Evans Scholars Foundation.
The beneficiary has strong ties in the game here in Western Pennsylvania, as Pittsburgh Field Club caddie Abigail Boyer received the No Laying Up Endowed Named Evans Scholarship.
“My one advisor reached out to me and said that there was this cool opportunity, a partnership between No Laying Up & the Evans Scholars,” said Boyer, an Irwin native and Norwin High School graduate who just completed her sophomore year at Miami University in Ohio. “They asked if I would be interested. I didn't know much about No Laying Up at the time, but I watched some of their podcast, learned more about them and thought this would be an awesome opportunity.”
The Evans Scholarship is a long-running program run by the Western Golf Association that provides a full tuition and housing college scholarship for high-achieving caddies with financial need. Numerous entities around the world provide funding for the Evans Scholarship, including the WPGA, which helps fund a scholarship for R.J. Brim of Fairview, Pa.
But now, with the boom in golf over recent years, those scholarship backers are coming from different backgrounds than what is typical.
And that is what seemingly makes No Laying Up and Abigail Boyer a perfect match. Female caddie representation is minimal compared to their male counterparts, even as the game sees tremendous growth among women and girls at the regional and national levels. For a female to receive such a noteworthy scholarship, it may serve as an opportunity to inspire other young women to put on the caddie bib, pick up a golf club or get interested in the sport.
“I think it’s awesome,” said Boyer, who played soccer at Norwin, a long-time WPIAL powerhouse of a program. “I’m glad I can be a good representative for young female caddies and show them that it is possible. If you're interested in the game and want to get started, you can definitely can do it.”
Boyer’s older sister and uncle both caddy at Pittsburgh Field Club, as well. She joined the club as a freshman in high school and then got inspired to join the Norwin golf team the following fall.
“I really enjoyed caddying and wanted to learn and be able to play myself,” she said. “I wanted to be outside and connect with really cool people and saw the variety of people that play (at the Pittsburgh Field Club) and wanted to make connections.
“I love caddying here so much. The members are amazing, I'm friends with all of the caddies and every loop is awesome. It’s a great time.”
Boyer is a strategic communications major who is also pursuing a co-major in fashion design. And it was golf, in particular, that may drive her into a career in the fashion industry.
“I was shopping for caddy clothes and I noticed just the lack of comfortable options, shorts that didn’t have pockets, stuff like that,” she said. “I’ve always loved designing and coming up with stuff, so I thought it would be cool to do that long term.
“I’m hoping to design some women’s golf apparel. I just kind of design on the side right now, but I’d love to have my own brand in the future.”
At Miami, Boyer lives in co-ed housing with about 70 other caddies who are all a part of the Evans Scholarship. About 20 of those caddies are females.
“There are 70 of us in a scholarship house and we all hang out together,” she said. “We have a lot of fun events and spend a lot of time together.”
No Laying Up was founded in 2014 by Chris Solomon, Phil Landes, Todd Schuster, Neil Schuster and D.J. Piehowski. The company has expanded far beyond its podcast and now has numerous full-time employees that produce golf-related digital and social media content, becoming a leading force in the online and digital growth of golf throughout the world.
No Laying Up says that its goal is to raise $500,000 to fund the scholarship in perpetuity, creating lasting support for Evans Scholars at Miami University. The scholarship reflects a shared commitment between No Laying Up and the Evans Scholars Foundation to create opportunities through golf and support the next generation of caddies.
“We’ve admired everything about the Evans Scholarship for as long as we’ve been in the golf world and are completely humbled to have one with our name on it,” said Piehowski, creative director at No Laying Up. “We look forward to supporting Abby’s journey at Miami University.”
And, for Boyer — now very much a fan of No Laying Up — an opportunity to have her college tuition covered has given her an eventual opportunity to give back to the game of golf even more.
“It’s honestly insane,” she said. “I feel like I’m still grasping it. I just feel so fortunate that I was given this opportunity.”
For any media inquiries, please contact WPGA Director of Communications Josh Rowntree.
