Peter Lynch and Richard F. “Dick” Connolly, Jr. were recognized for their time caddying as teenagers in Massachusetts and their use of caddying as a steppingstone to professional success. Past inductees include Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Charles “Chick” Evans, Jim “Bones” Mackay, Steve Williams, Joe LaCava, Jimmy Johnson, Charles Schwab and Peter Ueberroth.

Peter Lynch and Richard F. “Dick” Connolly, Jr. were inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame on Nov. 3. Both, now money managers, were recognized for their time caddying as teenagers in Massachusetts and their use of caddying as a steppingstone to professional success.

The pair were honored during a ceremony at the Western Golf Association’s Green Coat Gala, a black-tie affair at The Peninsula Chicago, where more than 300 supporters helped raised more than $8.4 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation.

Lynch caddied at Brae Burn Country Club in West Newton, Mass., which paved the way for him to receive a Francis Ouimet Fund Scholarship to attend Boston College. He also served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army and earned his MBA from the Wharton School of Business. Lynch would eventually go on to manage the Magellan Fund at Fidelity – the best performing fund in the world under his leadership from 1977-1990.

“We take great pride in welcoming Peter Lynch – a remarkable person who has achieved tremendous professional success after getting his start as a caddie – to the Caddie Hall of Fame,” said Joe Desch, WGA chairman. “We are privileged to honor Peter’s outstanding career as well as his dedication to giving back in support of youth caddies.”

He now serves as the president of the Lynch Foundation and vice chairman of Fidelity Management & Research Company. In 2010, he received the Ouimet Fund’s Richard F. Connolly, Jr. Distinguished Service Award for his dedication and commitment to supporting youth caddies.

“I loved being a caddie,” Lynch said. “There aren’t many jobs where you can have that much responsibility as a young person, and it’s so important. I learned respect, and I also learned what characteristics adults admired. Being a caddie helped me get my job at Fidelity.”

A native of Woburn, Mass., Connolly caddied at Woburn Country Club before going on to manage investment portfolios for more than 50 years.

“We are honored to welcome Dick Connolly as the newest member of the Caddie Hall of Fame,” said Joe Desch, Western Golf Association chairman. “Caddying put Dick on a path toward tremendous achievement professionally, and his willingness to give back to caddies certainly makes him worthy of this honor.”

Connolly has also supported youth caddies for more than 40 years as a Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund director, trustee and former president. An annual Richard F. Connolly Jr. Distinguished Service Award was established by the organization in 2000 in honor of his many contributions.

“I never dreamt that I would be inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame,” Connolly said. “I started as a caddie when I was just 8 years old, and it was the single most valuable experience I’ve had in my life. The fine people I caddied for taught me so many lessons in life, and, to this day, I believe caddying is the best way for a young person to learn.”

Administered by the Western Golf Association since 2011, the Caddie Hall of Fame highlights the tradition and importance of caddying by celebrating individuals who have devoted their lives to the game of golf through caddying or by supporting the role of caddies, and those who have used their experience as a youth caddie for future professional success.

The Caddie Hall of Fame was created by the Professional Caddies Association in 1999. Past inductees include Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Charles “Chick” Evans, Jim “Bones” Mackay, Steve Williams, Joe LaCava, Jimmy Johnson, Charles Schwab and Peter Ueberroth.