Evans back at Thetford to cap fine 2021
21/12/2021
Giles Evans has returned to his old stomping-ground at Thetford and taken on the role as the club’s playing professional.
The link-up was confirmed towards the end of a very successful season for the Norfolk golfer, who graduated in 2019 from the PGA Applied Golf Management Studies course.
It further cements existing relationships between Evans and the club. His short-game coach is Thetford’s head PGA professional Stuart Smith and the club’s assistant professional Owen Mills is his caddie.
Evans, 25 in mind-January, said: “It’s lovely to go back. I was a member there as a junior. I was at school down the road, so during school I practised at Thetford and got to know them then.
“You can’t really come close to a better facility through the winter. That plays a massive part in it as through the winter I’m not playing as many comps. So to have a facility that isn’t a swamp is key.
“I live just 10 minutes down the road. It just makes it so much easier for practice and everything. It’s absolutely perfect for me.
“I’m very lucky to be back there and hopefully we can do some good things together and be there for the long run.”
Evans certainly enjoyed plenty of high points in the 2021 season – his first full campaign as a professional.
He made the cut at The Belfry in the British Challenge – his first ever Challenge Tour tournament – and signed off with a four-under 68.
His initial foray into a PGA regional Order of Merit event saw him finish tied second at Three Rivers Golf and Country Club.
Evans also took the Norfolk Open title in August and finished the year with some fine displays in an overseas series staged in Turkey.
The three individual strokeplay tournaments were each staged over 36 holes and Evans finished tied-third, fourth and tied-second.
He said: “To be 20-under for the three tournaments, we had the lowest scoring average out of anyone. Even though it was quite a small field – there was only sort of 50 playing – it was quite a high-calibre field with people that maybe I haven’t competed against before.
“It was pretty cool to prove to myself that I can compete with those boys. It doesn’t matter what tour you’re on – Challenge, European or whatever – at the end of the day, you’ve just got to hit a ball and walk after it.”
Evans is keen to take all the momentum he has built up into 2022 – and keep taking forward strides. The big ambition is to have a shot at the European Tour Qualifying School and earn his playing rights. And the last year has certainly shown that he is heading in the right direction.
