Richard McEvoy believes the standard on the European Challenge Tour is higher than ever as he attempts to make an impact on this week’s Montecchia Golf Open presented by Polaroid.
The Englishman lost his playing rights on The European Tour in 2012 after an inconsistent season, but found some form in November to win a card at the Qualifying School Final Stage.
The considerably lower category means he does not get in to the more lucrative events on The European Tour however, so he has returned to the Challenge Tour to keep his game sharp.
McEvoy has enjoyed previous success on Europe’s second tier, gaining promotion in 2003, 2005 – the year he won the Panasonic Panama Open – and 2009.
“It’s incredible how much the standard has improved since I last played on the Challenge Tour,” he said. “On every tour right now the level is so high. There are so many young talented guys coming through who are all very hungry to make it.
“You have to keep on moving forward, otherwise it’s very easy to get left behind – that’s what happened to me last year. It was a bit of a wake-up call and hopefully this year I can make progress again.”
The 33 year old finished tied 15th in the Alfred Dunhill Championship on The European Tour in December, but since then has made one cut in six appearances – his first one on the Challenge Tour coming in last week’s Challenge de Madrid.
“I missed the cut by one after dropping four shots in the last five holes,” he said. “I was playing quite nicely so it was a really disappointing way to finish my round on Friday.
“Coming back to the Challenge Tour is a bit of a reality check. There’s no courtesy transport – you just turn up at the airport and have to hire a car, and you sort your own accommodation. You go back to basics.
“But none of that really matters if you can play well and enjoy a good week on the course. The results will take care of themselves then.”
