The Impact of the Murphy Caddie Program | A Q&A with Murphy & Evans Alums Jacqueline Fernandez and Robert Gonzalez

Get ready to dive into a heartwarming tale that started on the greens of Evanston Golf Club. Meet Jacqueline Fernandez and Robert Gonzalez, proud Alumni of the Murphy Caddie Program. Jacqueline, a graduate of Loyola Academy's Class of 2011 and former caddie at Evanston Golf Club, and Robert, representing Mount Carmel High School's Class of 2010 and Northmoor Country Club, crossed paths during the DMSF Golf Classic in 2010. Little did they know, that encounter would spark something extraordinary.

Fast forward to today, and Jacqueline and Robert aren't just partners on the course—they're partners in life. Residing in Chicago and active supporters of DMSF today, they're beaming with pride as parents to their adorable 7-month-old daughter, Mariela, and their lovable French bulldog, Geronimo.
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Join us as we chat with Jacqueline and Robert about their journey as caddies, their time as Evans Scholars at Marquette University, and how the Murphy Caddie Program laid the foundation for their relationship, education, and career successes. Get ready for a story that's as heartwarming as it is inspiring.

Question: How did you learn about caddying and what was that first impression that you had on this summer job?

Robert: I found out through news and updates from DMSF when they shared summer opportunities for Scholars. They called out the opportunity to apply for the Chick Evans Scholarship and so that appealed to me. I had no idea what that was prior to my time with DMSF.
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Jacqueline:  I learned about it from my older sister, Berenis Fernandez (Murphy Alum, Loyola Academy, Class of 2007). She did the Daniel Murphy Caddie Program and was awarded the Evans Scholarship to Marquette so it was something that I wanted to follow in her footsteps.

Question: Seeing as you both are married and have started this beautiful family together, how did you both originally meet? 
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Robert: I'll go first so that Jackie can correct me (Laughs). We actually met at Jackie's caddyshack. I had gone to Evanston Golf Club, her course, to work at the DMSF Golf Outing and I was wearing a special, green Chick Evans Scholar caddie bib. And so that sparked the initial conversation. Then I learned that she was also DMSF and that she was applying for the Evans.

Question: What made caddying and being a part of this program a unique experience for you?

Robert: I enjoyed getting that daily work experience, getting that taste of what it's like to live on my own. Some of my favorite aspects of the program outside of the work part are the regular guest speakers that would come visit. We would have Murphy Alumni that would come and talk to all the guys, let us know how they also did the caddie program and how it impacted their lives. At a personal level, I made a lot of good friends that I still have to this day. I learned a lot about the game of golf. I'm not a good golfer, but I still enjoy being out on the course. And I think the work environment itself is, from my perspective, beautiful. You're walking around like this green scenery, these gigantic trees that have been there forever. Everything is so pristine and nice and it's a sunny day. You get some good exercise. So I think just on a basic, human level, I liked being in that environment.
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Jacqueline: I think for me, it's like you're a teenager, you're developing responsibilities to wake up early, go to work, and then when you go to work, it's just the caddyshack full of energy. You get a loop and that comes with such a big excitement. And then you're on for four hours just walking and carrying a bag, but at the same time you do get that vitamin D, the sun, the good scenery..it was just a good feeling.

Question: Tell me about a memorable loop you had.
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Robert: I'll always remember my first loop ever. It was at the DMSF Golf Classic. I go up to my bag and it starts pouring rain. It initially gets rained out so the golfer assigned to me leaves and before he does, he slips me a generous tip. Once the rain had cleared, they let me know I was getting a loop. And so I walk up to my bag and it's Juan Espejo, the person who gave me my first caddie lessons, gave me my first golf lessons, gave me my first set of golf clubs. He was an amazing golfer. It was nice because he was a very nice person, someone who I was familiar with and fairly easy work because he's so good at golf. 

Jacqueline: For me, I don't have one specific loop, but I would say the loops that I caddied for women were very inspiring to me. To see someone that looked the same, I guess a woman, not just a man like more than half the course, but to see them go out there and play and then just be boss ladies. Yeah, that was very inspiring to me.

Question: What about caddying was a nice surprise?

Robert: I think the lessons that I connect to the job itself are the responsibility. Having my first job, having to be on time, be there, do a good job, the teamwork aspect of caddying, knowing you have an influence on someone's performance working together to figure out how can we shoot the best round of golf that we can together, the adaptability because not every golfer is the same. The attention to detail, taking into account things like what kind of weather we have on the course, reading greens, different wind conditions. All that type of stuff translates to normal life. I think the customer service aspect definitely applies in the job role you have. The networking is a big deal. And having a paying job is like the start of managing finances.
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Jacqueline: I echo that and will add, my farmer's tan (Laughs). Like Robert mentioned, being independent and being on your own. I think that also carried into college life as an Evans Scholar at Marquette, and that responsibility that comes with.

Question:  What did you appreciate about your Marquette Evans Scholarship experience?

Robert: I think everyone learns a lot about life with the college experience, and being a Marquette Evans Scholar adds another layer of motivation to do the best you can and have more responsibility than your average college kid does. And the setting really instilled a lot of lifelong values and friendships so I think that's the biggest thing that adds another layer to the college experience.
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Jacqueline: I think for me it was being able to get my education at that type of institution. I wouldn't have had that other than through the Murphy Caddie Program and getting the Evans. Continuing that Jesuit education going from Loyola Academy to Marquette was nice because that type of environment brings a sense of community, faith, being there for others, making a difference. I liked that that was still something that I was surrounded by. And of course, the great friends and memories.

Question: Why should people support the Murphy Caddie program?

Robert: DMSF, as a whole, is a positive life-changing organization and I see the Murphy Caddie Program being like a multiplier of those qualities. I think about how it's impacted the trajectory of my life. It's how I met my wife, it's how I went to a prestigious college for free. When you support DMSF, you're leaning into those things. When you support this program, you're multiplying that for more Scholars to come.
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Jacqueline: It opens the door for many possibilities, especially for underprivileged children that have the drive and are smart, but don't know about this type of opportunity that exists out there. Supporting this program provides that accessibility.

Question: To close our time together, where do you find yourself working today?

Robert: I'm a Senior Consultant working in the digital marketing space. The connection really with my job now is the golfers that I caddied for a lot of times would ask me about what type of school I'm going to, what I'm going to study, and they would share what they studied. And a lot of times, the golfers I caddied for went to business school. That exposure is what took me down the track of where I am today. 
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Jacqueline: I'm a Senior Analytics & Reporting Consultant at Blue Cross Blue Shield. I majored in IT and finance and I really liked working with data. I work in the department for value-based care reporting so that providers can deliver quality care to our members and improve their performance. I like to think that I'm making an impact in people’s lives Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance to ensure that they're getting quality healthcare.

Thanks you both for being such inspirational individuals and for sharing how caddying impact your lives, Jacqueline and Robert! 

​If you would like to donate to the Murphy Caddie Program, click here.