Player Blog: Richard McEvoy

Just a few weeks ago, Richard McEvoy claimed his first European Tour title in his 285th appearance and just a week after winning his third Challenge Tour crown. In this week’s Player Blog, the Englishman gives an insight into his long journey to European Tour victory and how it felt to sink that winning putt at the Porsche European Open.

My career has been a real test.There have been plenty of highs but also a lot of low moments. There were times where I thought about giving up. You never want to give up on your dreams. I always try until the bitter end and eventually it came good.
I didn’t start golf until quite late. My breakthrough year was 1999 where I got to the semi-finals of the British Amateur. After that I got into England squads and then 2001 was my big year, when I won twice in a row. I played in the Walker Cup at the end of the year in Georgia and we won. We had some great players in that team like Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, Nick Dougherty and Marc Warren. I made some great friends there and still keep in contact with them.

I had a tough start to my professional life. I turned pro at the end of 2001 and went to Q-School but missed out on a card. I spent that next year playing EuroPro and a few Challenge Tour invites, but there weren’t many opportunities. Throughout the course of that year I won twice on the EuroPro, but it was at the end of 2003 that I got my card after winning Q-School.

It’s been a journey of being on and off the European Tour. I got my card two or three times through Challenge Tour, but the rest have been through Q-School. I’ve been there 12 times now so  I’ve got a pretty good percentage knockout rate there! I’ve always had a good attitude. You’ll get knockbacks in your life, but as long as you learn from them and carry on you’ll always progress. Not everybody comes flying out and goes into the top 100 in the world. A lot of guys don’t necessarily get a win until they are  in their 40s. I’m 39 now, so I was nearly one of those. Sometimes it takes time.

Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forwards.It’s a case of needing to simplify things. My game hasn’t quite been consistent enough to keep producing. I’ve found a coach called Paul Holland, who I’ve been with for just over three years. It’s taken me back slightly to when I was a kid, when everything was a little more natural. I’m using similar movements and positions to the ones I had back then. In the past I’ve maybe tried to hit shots that my swing wasn’t ready for and have lost out because of that. I carried on showing resilience and grinding. I always look back on things, reflecting on what happened and seeing what I can do to improve.

Heading to Germany I was very confident.I’d won on the Challenge Tour the week before, playing some great golf on the back nine under pressure. I ended up winning by two and I think if I hadn’t done that, it could have been a different situation in Germany.  The win was fresh in my mind. I knew I could hit shots under pressure and it was just about repeating that. At the end of the day, even though the Porsche European Open was a bigger event, it’s still the same situation. It probably helped that I played with Bryson DeChambeau both days, because we got to know each other on the Saturday and then on Sunday we had our game faces on.

I was nervous before my final round, but it was mixed with excitement.I always felt in control of what I was doing and hit some nice shots early on, which calmed my nerves. I ended up making a few bogeys, a few more than I’d have liked, but I was always able to bounce back soon after and that kept my confidence high. It’s about never giving up, never giving in.

We came to the last hole tied for the lead.I thought my tee shot was good, but it leaked right into the semi-rough. I was in two minds about what to do. I had a conversation with my caddie, Wayne. He was certain we should go for it. In the back of my mind, I wasn’t sure. It was 204 yards to the front, so a five-iron for me and you needed to carry the water; it was do or die. I said to Wayne, ”I need to give myself an opportunity to make four and that’s going to be from the fairway rather than beyond the green.”

I hit a mid-wedge, followed by a sand wedge. The approached stopped at about 20 feet and the putt, well, it was something from a dream. When you’re a kid you practice those kinds of putts to win a tournament over and over again. Standing over it I felt incredibly calm. As soon as I hit it I knew it had a chance. Halfway there it turned into a blur and slow motion. It was crazy after that. The noise was incredible.

I was meant to fly home that night, but my plans definitely changed after that final putt! I had dinner at the hotel with Wayne and Paul Casey. I hadn’t seen Paul for a couple of years, so it was nice to see him. We played a lot of amateur golf together so it was great to share that moment with him. I ended up getting home on Monday lunchtime and went on holiday on Tuesday for my anniversary with my wife. I used my phone too much, perhaps, but my wife understood. I had a lot of messages I wanted to reply to. I’ve come back this week and it’s been nice to have guys saying congratulations and shaking hands. It shows the European Tour is a friendly place and I love being out here.

I never fell out of love with the game, but I got close. People have said “you’re too good to give up” and in the back of my mind I had that small belief that I could  do what I did in Germany. My wife has been incredible and my good friends from back home have backed me. I was getting to a point where it was such a grind that I was losing the heart for it a little. I always try to play with a smile, but I needed to kick myself even more to do that. You have to keep working hard and get to the point where it happens for you.

I have new goals for the end of this year, but it’s a great position to be in. I’ve never had a two-year exemption like I do now. I can plan next year, which I haven’t been able to do recently. Golf can change your life in a week.

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