Evans nets best ever Euro Tour finish

The Staplecross-based professional came tied fourth in the KLM Open after producing four sub-par rounds at The Dutch in Holland.

Evans completed the 72-hole event in a 12-under-par total of 272 to finish alongside Alejandro Canizares (Spain), David Horsey (England) and Scott Hend (Australia).

The 29-year-old topped the leaderboard - a shot clear of no less than seven players tying for second - after carding a six-under-par 65 in round one.

Starting at the 10th, Evans got off to a flyer with five birdies in his first six holes, including four in a row from the 12th. He made his only bogey of the day at the par four 17th, but hit back with two more birdies at the first and fourth before finishing with five straight pars.

Evans was tied fifth after a two-under-par second round 69 last Friday. This time starting at the first, he again got off to a great start with birdies at the second, fourth and sixth to open up a two-shot lead. A bogey followed at the eighth, but a birdie at the 15th left him tied second before he dropped a shot on the par five 18th to end the day two off the lead.

Evans nudged up to tied third on the back of a three-under-par third round 68 on Saturday. He mixed two birdies with two bogeys on the front nine before putting together a very good back nine of 33 with birdies at the 11th, 17th and 18th.

Evans dropped outside the top 10 after making two bogeys on the front nine in round four yesterday (Sunday), but clawed his way back up courtesy of another back nine of 33. Birdies at the 13th and 16th, plus a brilliant eagle at the par five 15th (where he holed from the greenside bunker), and a bogey at the 14th meant he signed for a one-under-par 70.

It was a timely return to form for Evans, who missed the cut in 10 of his previous 13 tournaments, during which time his best finish was tied 44th at the Made in Denmark event a fortnight previously.

The 70,830 Euros that Evans won moved him up from 143rd to 117th on the season-long Race to Dubai rankings. He needs to climb into the top 110 by the season's end if he is to retain full playing privileges for next year and is now only just over 10,000 Euros outside that mark.

Evans will hope to maintain the momentum in the Italian Open at Golf Club Milano, which will get under way on Thursday.

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