Good Evans turns the clock back at Pype Hayes

Chris Evans took a trip down memory lane to win the Powerade PGA Assistants’ Championship Midland qualifier at Pype Hayes Golf Club.

Evans, of Wishaw Golf Club, dominated the rain-hit event to win by five shots, recording an eight-under-par round of 63.

The second year PGA Assistant’s nearest rival was The Belfry’s Rhys Long.

And now they - along with 15 other qualifiers from the event - will now head to Coventry Golf Club for the £32,500 FootJoy-supported final on June 11-13.

Evans (pictured above) admitted the win meant more to him as Sutton Coldfield’s Pype Hayes was the first course he ever played at as a youngster.

“I have a sort of emotional attachment to it,” he admitted.

“You never quite forget the first course you played and for me that was Pype Hayes.

“I must have been about 10 years old so obviously I know it really well. I only live a couple of miles away.

“But I ended up at as an assistant at Wishaw which isn’t too far away and is a great club to be at.”

Evans did not enter the event last year and was determined to make up for that this time around.

“It was all new to me in my first year of training and I just didn’t put my name forward,” he said.

“But I made sure I did this year and I’m glad it worked out. The final’s in Coventry so that’s not too far to travel to either.

“I wanted to go down the PGA route as it offers so many different career options.”

Evans revealed he did not know how well he was doing until he reached the 18th hole.

“I have a routine I stick to and that tends to keep me calm.

“I’d only played one hole before we had to come off for an hour for rain, but after that I played well and made three birdies in a row at one point.

“I didn’t know what sort of score I’d made until just before the end though so I wasn’t getting carried away.

“When I realised I was eight-under I just wanted make par at the 18th and not drop a shot.

“The conditions were quite wet - it was waterproofs going on and off all day - but it didn’t affect me at all.”