England call for talented golfer

BEN Evans' journey to golfing stardom has taken another significant step in the right direction.

The Sedlescombe Golf Club star-in-the-making, pictured above, has been selected to represent his country at a four nations event later this month. Staplecross-based Evans, 20, is among six members of the English Golf Union's A squad which will fly the national flag out in Spain from January 24-26.

England will be up against Finland, Germany and the hosts in the Costa Ballena Quadrangular match at Costa Ballena Golf Club. The competition will be played on a round-robin basis, each match comprising three foursomes and six singles ties. Evans' team-mates will be Matthew Baldwin (Royal Birkdale), Gareth Evans (Northcliffe), Luke Collins (Mendup Spring), Sam Hutsby (Lee-on-Solent) and Steven Uzzell (Hornsea).

England won the inaugural staging of the competition back in 2001 and were also triumphant in both of the last two years. Evans previously turned out for England at adult level in the Peruvian International Amateur Team Championship during April 2005, helping his country to second place. He also made a host of international appearances at boys' level during his under-18s days, notably being part of the victorious England teams in the Home Internationals and European Championships during 2004. In the last 12 months Evans has achieved a raft of impressive results, the pick being his victory in the Sunningdale Foursomes alongside Danielle Masters. He won the Faldo Series title during October and came second in defence of the Faldo Series International Trophy last January.

Evans tied for third in Holland's Riverswood Junior Open and reached the matchplay stages of the Amateur Championship. Further lofty finishes were achieved in the West of England Strokeplay Championship and the St Andrews Links Trophy. He also gained a taste of life at the very top when he took part in the Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open on the professional European Tour during June 2005.