Top ten for Ben in Grand Final

The Staplecross-based talent finished tied eighth in the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final to end the year 36th on the Challenge Tour Rankings.

Making his debut in an event containing a select field of just the leading 45 players in the rankings, Evans got off to a good start with a two-under-par 69 containing three birdies and a single bogey.

The 23-year-old remained tied eighth after carding a 73 - featuring four birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey on the difficult par four first hole - in brutal conditions on day two when all bar one player was over par.

Evans then fired another 69 - again made up of three birdies and one bogey - to move up to tied sixth as the weather at San Domenico Golf on Italy’s Adriatic coastline settled down again for day three.

He finished with a 71 on Saturday as birdies on the 8th and 11th were offset by a double bogey on the short par four 17th - a hole he birdied on days one and two - which meant Evans missed out on a share of third place.

Evans, a member of Rye and Staplecross Golf Clubs, has now been a professional for three years having previously been one of the sport’s leading amateur players and represented England at various levels.

The full article will appear in Friday’s Rye and Battle Observers.