Marquette freshman finds passion for golf, gets coveted scholarship

BROOKFIELD, Wis. - Going from adolescence to adulthood is usually an interesting journey. For Brookfield’s Jacob Kaepernick, it was a decision made for him that opened up a very important path.

"I think it was really my mom," he said. "When I was 12, I didn’t really know what caddying was. And golfing, I wasn’t really into it. But my mom just threw me into the program."

Kaepernick’s start was at the Westmoor Country Club where he met western golf association director, Barry Hentz.

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"Jacob started as a younger brother of two sisters that started here when the program kind of started in the beginning," Hentz said.

Quickly, he went from not caring much about the game to it becoming a passion and a vehicle to his future.

"After that, like one or two years of caddying, I really got into golf at school, too," Kaepernick said. "So I just kind of got addicted."

He would play for Brookfield Central, all the while caddying at Westmoor. It was there that he learned about the Evans Scholarship, which pays full college tuition and board for caddies who earn it.

"I just opened my eyes to the opportunity. There’s many members here who actually are sponsors to it," he said. "And they contribute to the communities. So, that’s kind of how I knew about it."

While succeeding as a caddie on the course, he also had to go through a rigorous interview and testing process to earn the very coveted scholarship.

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"It takes perseverance. It takes grit," Hentz said. "And that’s what Jacob had."

Kaepernick is one of 16 recipients of the Evans Scholarship from Wisconsin in 2024.