Rookie McEvoy emulates hero Faldo

RICHARD MCEVOY had always looked up in awe at “the man” Nick Faldo, but the roles were reversed as the qualifying school graduate produced a stunning opening round to lead the Omega Hong Kong Open.

In his first tournament as a fully fledged member of the European Tour since winning the six-round qualifying school in Spain last month, McEvoy carded an eight under par 62 to finish four shots clear of the field and equal Faldo's course record.

McEvoy's performance was arguably better than Faldo's 13 years ago given the changes made to toughen up the course.

McEvoy showed composure beyond his 24 years not to let a bogey on the 12th worry him and instead hit back to birdie three of the last five holes before hailing Faldo's influence.

"Faldo's always had great rhythm and I tried to copy that," said McEvoy, from Shoeburyness, Essex.

"Faldo was my man. I was in awe of him really, he was a great player. In the time I was growing up he was the man.

"Dropping a shot is obviously very disappointing but to come back with a birdie straight after on the next hole was great and it got my rhythm back and kept it going on the rest of the round."

It could have been even better for McEvoy had he not dropped that shot on 12 or left a 10 foot putt short by a whisker on the 17th, but he finished with a birdie putt on the last to seal a sensational start to the new season.

It was a good day for the qualifying school graduates, with Scotland's Steven O'Hara and South African Desvonde Botes enjoying their time in the Hong Kong sun.

O'Hara, McEvoy's Walker Cup team-mate from 2001, finished with a four under par 66.

Botes, who birdied his 108th and final hole at the qualifying school to gain his card, did not drop a shot all day to finish tied on three under with the likes of experienced pair Padraig Harrington and Barry Lane.

Darren Clarke threatened the top of the leaderboard but dropped two shots on the homeward nine to finish on two under par, level with former champions Jose Maria Olazabal (2001) and Fredrik Jacobson (2002).

Clarke will be disappointed, but Jacobson believes a 68 is enough to remain firmly in the hunt.

"I am quite happy. I think I am in a good position now.

"The greens are much firmer this year so I don't think the scores will be as low as last year, so a couple of under leaves me there or thereabouts," he said.

Olazabal, who is changing his swing, had to battle hard after recording a double bogey on the first and was "really pleased" to have finished in profit.

Faldo, though, cut a frustrated figure as he logged a "messy" round of 69.

The 46-year-old, without a tour victory in six years, made a promising start with successive birdies before struggling on a cloudless, warm but breezy day.

"I just made a few mistakes tactical, club selection errors," he said.

"It was a very good start, then I lost the momentum and was up and down.

"It has been frustrating this season. The good is very good, good enough. But it's been inconsistent.

"Maybe it's age. I've got to do something about that!"