Evans targets tour card in Hong Kong

The Staplecross-based professional lies 118th on the season-long Race to Dubai standings with the top 110 after this week’s UBS Hong Kong Open earning playing privileges for 2016.

Evans will need a lofty finish at Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling to make the necessary jump up the standings as he lies around 21,000 Euros outside the top 110 at present.

The 72-hole event got under way in the early hours of this morning (Thursday) and the action will continue each day until the finale on Sunday.

Evans is part of a strong line-up in the final full field event of the European Tour season, which includes world number seven Justin Rose, US stars Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed, and Ian Poulter, who made a mad dash out to Hong Kong after taking up a last minute tournament invite.

The 28-year-old Evans headed out to the far east in decent form having made the cut in seven of his last eight tournaments and achieved top 20 finishes in three of them.

Evans came tied 53rd in his latest outing at the Portugal Masters last weekend with a one-under-par 72-hole total of 283 at Oceanico Victoria GC.

He began with a two-over-par 73 containing two birdies and four bogeys, two of which came in his last three holes, but bounced back with a very good bogey-free second round 68 to make the cut on the mark.

Tournament organisers took the unusual step of implementing a shotgun start in round three because of high winds. Despite birdies early and late in his round, six bogeys in between meant Evans signed for a four-over 75.

After heavy overnight rain and with more forecast later in the day, round four also got under way with a shotgun start. Evans this time carded five birdies and a solitary bogey to finish with a splendid four-under 67.

The event was won by Englishman, Andy Sullivan, who produced a scintillating display to finish nine shots clear of the field at 23-under-par.

Evans, who lies 356th in the Official World Golf Ranking, has category 16 membership of the European Tour this year having finished 17th in the second tier European Challenge Tour rankings in 2014.

A final position of 111th-125th on this year’s Race to Dubai standings would put him in the same category for next year, but a place in the top 110 would move him up to category 10.

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