Evans: No U-turn over retirement

Gary Evans insists he will retire from golf at the end of the season despite having the chance to win his first European Tour title and almost half a million pounds.

A first-round 65 at St Andrews left Evans just two shots off the lead going into today’s second round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Victory on Sunday in his 361st tournament would be worth £427,000 (€632,000) and carries with it a two-year tour exemption, but Evans is determined to call an end to his 15-year career regardless.

“I’m starting a company and I’ve got two or three projects I’m working on at the minute, all within the world of golf,” explained the Dubai-based 37-year-old.

“I’ve got an internet idea that will be coming to the fore fairly shortly, lots of really good stuff.”

Evans is best remembered for finishing fifth in the Open at Muirfield in 2002, one shot out of a play-off, after losing a ball on the 71st hole before holing a 50-foot putt across the green to save par.

But he has been plagued by a number of injuries in recent years and admits he has simply had enough.

“When you’ve picked yourself up off the floor and dusted yourself off as many times as I have, eventually it gets a bit wearing on the brain,” he said.

“Because of the very nature of it, golf is a game where you do very little succeeding, or what you might call success and the last few years have been tough. My kids are growing up and I feel I’ve got so much more to do in my life.

“I had an operation on my right shoulder two years ago. When I came back from that my leg went. I just thought: ‘What have I done to deserve this amount of hassle in my career?’

“I’ve tried hard to come back but it hasn’t felt right ever since. My golf actually hasn’t been bad – I just haven’t been scoring and mentally it drains you.

“You want to play four rounds and, when you turn up every week, work hard but miss the cut by a shot, it’s devastating.”

In stark contrast, first-round leader Paul Casey is riding the crest of a wave after winning the HSBC World Matchplay at Wentworth and contributing three points to Europe’s Ryder Cup victory at the K Club.

Casey carded a nine-under-par 63 at Kingsbarns – one of the three courses used for the pro-am event – to lead by one shot from Wales’ Bradley Dredge and Sweden’s Johan Edfors.

That left the Englishman 12 shots ahead of his nearest rival at the top of the money list, Ryder Cup partner David Howell, who struggled to a 75 after suffering a recurrence of a shoulder injury.

Casey, who could clinch the Order of Merit title this week with a victory and suitable performances elsewhere, insisted he was keeping the issue at the back of his mind.

“I’m really not going to think about it,” said the 29-year-old. “I would dearly love to win it and if it happens, it happens, but if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. But it would be a wonderful honour.

“I have achieved so many of my goals this year and feel very satisfied so, if I was to win, it would be brilliant. If not, then it doesn’t matter as I’ve had a wonderful year anyway.

“I can’t control what the other guys do. I have David behind me and a few other guys are very much in it.

“Padraig Harrington asked me this morning if I was playing in Mallorca before Valderrama but I’m not going to change my schedule. I am tired and I need a break.”

Casey is currently £80,000 (€118,000) ahead of Howell and £250,000 (€370,000) clear of Robert Karlsson, but the vast amounts of prize money on offer here and in the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama means Karlsson (third), Henrik Stenson (fourth), Harrington (fifth) and Colin Montgomerie (seventh) are among those still in with a chance of topping the standings.

Harrington was the best placed of those after an opening 66 while Karlsson and Stenson both returned rounds of 68. Montgomerie – seeking a ninth Order of Merit title – could only manage a 73.