North Hills CC held its inaugural J. Wood Platt Invitational on Sept. 25. Winners (center) Randy Kruse and Frank Brigidi are congratulated by Greg Sheva (left), tournament chairman, and Joe Shevlin (right), North Hills’ president.
It was a beautiful day for golf at North Hills Country Club as 46 two-man teams came out to play in the inaugural J. Wood Platt Invitational on Sept. 25. All proceeds from this event were graciously donated to the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust. In total, more than $11,000 was raised.
The format for the event was a 36-hole partner’s tournament, gross and net, featuring 18 holes of better-ball of partners followed by 18 holes as a two-man scramble. Winners were:
How has the Platt Caddie Scholarship helped you achieve your goals and what has it meant to you?
I would not have been able to get through college without help from the Platt Caddie Scholarship. As a triplet who was raised by a single parent, I have basically been on my own for just about everything. The ridiculous cost of tuition these days has forced me to take out several loans. I was fortunate enough to receive the maximum amount from the Platt Caddie Scholarship, which allowed me to reduce my loan amount dramatically each year. Throughout my college years, there have been times where I literally did not know if I would be able to return to school the following semester because of my financial troubles. I was always, however, able to rely on the amount I received from the Platt Caddie Scholarship and that will always mean so much to me. continued ...
The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust was created in 1958 by the Golf Association of Philadelphia through the efforts of then President Walter A. Schmidt, Leo Fraser, President of the local section of Professional Golfers’ Association of America, and Albert Keeping, Golf Professional at Gulph Mills Golf Club. It was named in honor of Philadelphia’s premier golfer of the era, J. Wood Platt. Not only was Mr. Platt an accomplished player, but he was also the Scholarship’s co-founder and first contributor.
The Scholarship’s mission, which has remained constant since its inception, is to financially aid deserving caddies in their pursuit of higher education. In the last 50 years, more than 3,100 young men and women have received over $13 million in aid. In the 2008-09 academic year, 185 caddies are receiving $690,000 in scholarships.
The Scholarship is also helping to preserve one of the game’s most valued traditions, the caddie. By supporting caddies in their traditional educational pursuits, the Scholarship is also reminding golfers of the important role the caddie has played in the game’s history. In turn, this role is preserved for the game’s future.
