Evans does himself no favours by reopening Montgomerie debate

IN THIS trade, you usually have to chase your stories. They don’t just land in your lap.

The exception, however, occurred when English journeyman professional Gary Evans marched into the media centre at Wentworth and rounded on his own European Tour to the effect that they handled the Colin Montgomerie ‘ball dropping incident’ in the Indonesian Open very badly.

Speaking for what he claimed was 98% of the Tour, Evans also criticised the way Monty had conducted himself at the time and over the ensuing months and how the rules and rulers had allowed him off the hook.

He recounted how the question “have any of you ever cheated?” was raised at the recent players’ general meeting. “I put up my hand and said, of course I have, I have cheated on my wife several times and they all p***ed themselves laughing,” Evans claimed.

Well, if that’s the type of character trying to put down a golfer of Colin Montgomerie’s stature, then the Scot would do well not to bother himself unduly.

Evans has been a tournament pro since 1991 and never won a single tournament. He and his friends, however, have the European Tour in their sights, which is why executive director George O’Grady re-entered the debate yesterday.

“After Wednesday’s meeting, Jamie Spence and his committee made a statement that the matter is finished,” he said. “I’m well aware of what’s in today’s papers and I find it enormously disrespectful of that player, if the comments as attributed to him are true.

“We have Jamie and 14 other members of committee and they have authority to debate how this Tour goes forward. They have a responsibility.

“Statements about other players in the press after your elected officials have made a statement, just in case you didn’t get it the first time, are enormously disrespectful.

“I would expect that player to apologise to Jamie Spence and to the 14 other elected members of that committee for publicly undermining their leadership of the Tour. They are there to serve. They have been elected. This particular player stood for election once. He didn’t get on.

“He does not undermine me. He undermines his colleagues and I think you’ll find that unacceptable. I expect him to apologise to his colleagues. I think he’ll be seeking to have a word with me.”

Montgomerie has held up his hands and admitted he made a mistake in Jakarta; he has handed over his pay cheque for more than 24,000 to the tsunami fund and he has been cleared of any intentional misdemeanour by his peers.

But the issue just won’t go away. To his credit, Monty has continued to play fine golf and yesterday completed the front nine of his final round in the PGA Championship in 30 shots on the way to a round of 66.

A huge assembly of pressmen waited outside the scorers hut for 20 minutes while he and his manager, Guy Kinnings of IMG, discussed the situation before a stern-faced Montgomerie emerged.

“I agree with everything that George O’Grady said this morning about our European Tour committee of which I am a member,” he said.

“It was not necessary for Gary Evans to say what he said. Everyone is entitled to an opinion as you are and that’s what you are paid to do. I am very surprised by what he had to say, as is George O’Grady.

“I wasn’t aware that he held this opinion but he’s entitled to it. I was told about this last night and I was very hurt, as I am now.

” I thought it was all dead and buried when the statement came out from the European Tour committee.”