With strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes and a tall, slender frame, it’s impossible not to recognize the resemblance between Chandler Cantwell and his father, Tim. Turns out they share more than DNA.
After initially choosing baseball as his sport, Chandler followed his father into golf at 12. Tim was a longtime caddie at the famed Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach and is the PGA teaching professional at PGA National Resort.
Chandler said watching Rory McIroy win the 2019 Players Championship spurred him to become serious about golf, but being exposed to the sport by his father made the move inevitable. Chandler started caddying at Seminole when he was 14.
“I definitely want to be in the golf industry like my dad,” Chandler said. “There’s always hope of playing professionally, which is very tough, but something I want to work toward. Even if I can’t play golf for a living, I want to be in the business, whether that’s being a club pro or working for an equipment company.”
What started as an after-school job has turned into a full-time pursuit, especially when Chandler recently learned he had been awarded a full Evans Scholarship worth more than $125,000. Chandler, an 18-year-old senior at Dwyer High School, becomes the fifth Seminole caddie to have his college tuition paid for by the Evans Scholars Foundation.
“I never thought about getting a scholarship my first few years of caddying,” Chandler said. “It wasn’t until last year that I started to really mature and realize, ‘Wow, I can get my college paid for,’ which is pretty remarkable.”
And fitting.
Grandfather Bill Topp a founding contributor to Evans Scholars Foundation
Tim’s grandfather, Bill Topp, was one of the founding contributors of the Evans Scholars Foundation, an Illinois-based nonprofit that was started in 1930 by famed amateur Chuck “Chick” Evans. Operated by the Western Golf Association, the program has helped almost 12,000 caddies graduate from college, based on financial need, a strong caddying record, academic success and overall character.
“For Chandler to be a part of this, when my grandfather was one of the contributing founders, is pretty incredible,” Tim said. “It was humbling and pure elation when we found out he had been selected because there’s a lot of great candidates. He’s put in a lot of hard work the last four years.”
It’s not easy being a caddie at an iconic course such as Seminole, especially when you’re younger than some of the clubs in the members’ bags. Seminole has a high-profile membership – think names like Tom Brady – who take their golf very seriously. The last thing they want is a bad read on a putt or an incorrect yardage.
When Chandler started looping at Seminole four years ago, he felt like he was walking into a three-club wind. While he had his father guide him off the course, caddies are on their own at Seminole, where constantly changing wind conditions off the Atlantic Ocean, not to mention the crazy-difficult greens, make looping a constant challenge.
Yet working for Seminole has a host of advantages. Club President Jimmy Dunne, head PGA professional Bob Ford (now retired), Matt Cahill and longtime Seminole member John Hand – who started a youth caddie program at the club and is now a Western Golf Association director – have been extremely supportive of young caddies such as Chandler.
“It’s a credit to Seminole how well they took him under their wing,” Tim said. “They beat him up a little bit, but that made him better with his maturity and got him out of his shell. He’s a late bloomer, like me.”
There is plenty of prestige that goes with wearing the Seminole caddie bib and being exposed to a place that values the game’s history and tradition as much as any U.S. club. But with that honor comes responsibility.
“You want to make sure you provide the best service to the member because they expect great service,” Chandler said. “That pressure really helps you being able to deliver under pressure.
“I feel like I have an obligation to help the member play the best they can play. When I hit a perfect read, and they make it, that’s a lot of fun. You need to know what to say at the right time and getting your point across quickly. At Seminole, there’s a rule: You want to get your point across in about seven seconds.”
Chandler Cantwell joins Bella Cecere as Evans Scholarship winners
Chandler joins North Palm Beach resident Bella Cecere, a senior at Dreyfoos, in receiving Evans Scholarships. Cecere, the daughter of late WPBF-Channel 25 anchor Kristin Hoke, will attend the University of Delaware and study nursing in honor of her mom.
“As we continue to expand access to youth caddie opportunities across the state of Florida, we are so proud to have two academically strong caddies receive this life-changing gift,” said Hand, Seminole member and WGA director. “We hope they will inspire more young people from Florida to seek out the best summer job there is – caddying.”
Chandler will attend the University of South Carolina, where he plans to study business and try to walk on to the golf team. Regardless of whether he makes the team, Chandler is certain he will take the same golf path as his father.
“My dad has helped me so much in this journey,” Chandler said.
They look alike, although Chandler’s recent growth has gone beyond his maturity. When asked who was taller, the 6-foot-3 Tim laughed.
“We’re the same height,” he said, “but I’m not going to admit that.”
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