Evan Wartgow witnessed fellow Hall of Fame inductee Andrew Steinhofer's remarkable season and thought he’d try to do it one better. A Southern Lakes Conference medalist and three-time all-conference player from Fort Atkinson, Evan came to Madison College looking for an opportunity to continue playing golf. He quickly realized he could do more than play.
As a freshman in 2009-2010, Evan earned six top-five finishes for the WolfPack, posting a season-best score of 71 at the Illinois Valley Classic. He helped Madison College win one tournament during the regular season and finish second at the Region 4 Tournament, where he finished ninth overall and had the shot of the tournament with a hole-in-one on the par 3 17
th hole. After his first collegiate season, Evan was named All-North Central Community College Conference and All-Region 4.
One year later, Evan opened his sophomore campaign with statement, winning medalist honors at the Highland “36” with a three-over-par 147. One day later, he shot an even-par 72 to win the Rock Valley Invitational while also leading the WolfPack to a team title. A fifth-place finish at the MATC-Milwaukee Invite helped the Pack repeat as tournament champs. On September 25 at The Bridges Golf Course, Evan put everything together to card the second-best round of golf in Madison College history. His five-under-par 67 was six strokes better than any other player. The regular season finale at the College of DuPage Tournament produced two more wins for Evan and the WolfPack, as he shot 71 to claim medalist honors and the team finished 24 shots better than other team to give Madison College its first and only N4C championship.
Evan continued his impressive play right into and through the Region 4 Tournament at PrairieView, claiming Region 4 medalist by two strokes to qualify for the 2011 NJCAA Division III Golf Championships. He also took home all-conference and all-region awards for the second straight year. The following June in Chautauqua, New York, Evan found himself in the lead midway through the four-round national tournament at two-over par. Back-to-back 76’s over the final two days resulted in a runner-up finish at 298, just one shot behind Alex McKee of Monroe Community College. It also earned him NJCAA First Team All-American.
For his career, Evan holds the third-best all-time scoring average at 76.5 over 29 rounds. His 75.5 scoring average as a sophomore ranks as the fifth-best single-season mark. Evan owns three 18-hole rounds listed among the top 13 in school history and two of the best 36-hole scores at Madison College. His 2010-11 team boasts the third-lowest team scoring average for a season at 313.8, just ahead of the 314 mark from his freshman team. Over two seasons, Evan helped the WolfPack claim four team tournament titles.
"Evan was, without question, the most dedicated and hardworking player I have ever coached,” commented former golf coach Bill Scheer. “His inner drive and competitiveness was contagious - and that carried over to his teammates. This drive led him to improve so much during his second season, that he compiled one of the best individual seasons in the history of Madison College golf".
A N4C Academic All-Conference recipient as a sophomore, Evan earned his Associate’s Degree from Madison College in Recreation Management & Facility Operations. He continued to compete in numerous statewide events, picking up several wins, and has worked as a club pro. In 2018, he was inducted into the Region 4 Hall of Fame. Evan recently relocated to Utah to work as a PGA Assistant Golf Professional, becoming a member of the PGA of American last June.
When asked about his time at Madison College, Evan had the following to say:
- "Playing and being apart of Madison college was a big joy for me. I wanted the chance to compete and play golf while still getting an education and it was the best fit for myself."
- "All the fun we had as a team and traveling was something I will never forget. I had a great coach and a lot of good friends on the team, it was an amazing experience and to be able to share this day with Andrew and Coach Scheer is great, I couldn't have asked for anything better."
