Young caddies looking to make some extra money can get more than they ever expected, thanks to the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust, writes Michael Bradley for Main Line Today.

At 14, Michael Ryan did some caddying at Rolling Green Country Club in Springfield.

 He walked away with $40,000 for tuition at La Salle University.

Because of the grant, Ryan graduated La Salle without debt. He’s now a 25-year-old CPA and investor. He also serves on the scholarship fund’s board.

“I’ve been out of college for two years, and I’ve been able to enjoy a little bit of success in the business world,” Ryan says. “That’s in part due to the people I caddied for at Rolling Green and the scholarship.”

The fund has been around since 1958. It’s given caddies more than $23 million in grants for college. The fund also offers resources and contacts to help students during and after college.

It’s sponsored by the Golf Association of Philadelphia.

The scholarship is named after J. Wood Platt. A caddie advocate who won six Philadelphia Amateur Championships.

“He’s maybe the greatest amateur golfer in Philadelphia history,” says Mark Peterson, GAP’s executive director.

Read more at Main Line Today about the Golf Association caddie scholarship.