Golf: Lemont's Shane Purtle Earns Prestigious Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship

Each week, Lemont Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments.

We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid.  Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to Local Editor Amanda Luevano at amanda@patch.com. Be sure to include all of the information included below.

And without further ado, this week's Whiz Kid is...

Whiz Kid's Grade: Senior

Whiz Kids' School: 

Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Lemont golf standout Shane Purtle was recently awarded the prestigious Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship from the Evans Scholar Foundation. The scholarship will cover Purtle's full tuition at Indiana University, renewable for up to four years.

Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Purtle joins an elite club of more than 10,000 men and women who have graduated from the Evans Scholar program since 1930.

Candidates for the scholarship must be nominated by their golf clubs and have a strong caddie record with a minimum two years of outstanding service. Students must also have an excellent academic record, maintaining a "B" average in college preparatory classes. They must also demonstrate outstanding character and financial need.

Purtle is an A-rated caddie at Crystal Tree Country Club in Orland Park. He is also a National Honor Society and high honor roll student at Lemont High School.

Last fall, Purtle at the IHSA State Finals. The team took third place among 12 teams in Class 2A, and Purtle earned all-state honors by placing third in the individual competition.

Lemont High School has had several Evans Scholars over the past few years, including Sean Smith '08, Brett Mason '09 and Andrew Mason '11.

The Evans Scholar Foundation administers the nation's largest privately funded college scholarship program, providing full tuition and housing grants to deserving caddies. Seventeen colleges and universities across the country enroll Evans Scholars; at 14 of those schools, the Evans Scholar Foundation owns and maintains a house where its students reside.