At 6.30 this morning Gary Evans started to fine tune an already highly-efficient game in preparation for the Open championship.

The early tee-off at Royal St George's in company with Retief Goosen was a practice round and vital examination of a links with which Evans is not over familiar.

When the championship begins in earnest on Thursday, Evans' homework will have been completed. What happens next is down to Worthing's most famous golfing son who remembers his last attempt to tame Sandwich.

"I played it as an amateur once or twice and ten years ago with Greg Norman when he won. As for the state of my game lately I am happy at the way I have been progressing.

"I was pleased to finish fourth in the European Open at The K Club and while I was never in a position to win, my performance was satisfactory.

"Phillip Price was always in command and I wasn't going to catch him. The nearest I got was three strokes away."

Making such a high finish and 13 under par boosted Evans' bank balance by around £100,000 taking his Tour earnings to just short of £200,000 from 14 starts this year. A place in the top 40 of the Volvo Order of Merit practically guarantees his card next season.

This is a comfort as Evans has no other concern and was able to approach last week's Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, where he finished joint-fifth after shooting a final- round 65, in a relaxed frame of mind.

All he is thinking about at Sandwich is eclipsing his outstanding performance in last year's Open at Muirfield.

In fact, 2002 was his best season since turning professional in 1991 when finishing 21st in the lists and becoming a cool half-a-million pounds richer in the process.

The undoubted highlight came when tieing for fifth place at Muirfield, just one stroke outside the four man play-off eventually won by Ernie Els.

Evans endeared himself to millions of television viewers around the world with an audacious 50 foot putt for par right across the 17th green before turning to the camera with the emotional dedication, "that one's for you, mum."

That stroke helped Evans pocket £140,000 but he had no thoughts at the time about money.

Evans, 34, has come a long way since stacking supermarket shelves in Worthing every night to fund his golf. A top amateur, winning two Lytham Trophy titles and the English Amateur Stroke Play, he has battled against a persistent wrist injury which necessitated soft tissue reconstruction surgery in 1994.

Until last year Evans had a poor record in the Open. In the first three years starting as an amateur, he twice missed the cut and failed to qualify. It took him six years to make the last two days and then came another three disappointments of not getting in.

A brief showing in 1998 gave him 70th spot but nothing until last year when his old clubmates at Worthing followed his nail-biting progress on the box.

Last year apart, Evans fell into the category of an unfancied runner and he needs no reminding either that he has yet to win a tournament on the Tour.

Whether he thinks this is his year does not enter the equation for golfers never tempt fate.

Instead, Evans mentioned two names he thought might do well but are hardly likely to send the punters running to the bookies to get a bet on.

"Eduardo Romero and Mark McNulty are both playing very well right now," he said on returning from Dublin. "For my part there is no point in getting flustered because this is the Open. I shall be surrounded by the same old faces again."

Evans goes into the championship thankful that Olivia Beth, his daughter who will be five this week, has successfully undergone surgery.

"She was born with a hole in the heart and it was not until April that they were able to operate. Thankfully, she has made a complete recovery. It was not very nice leading up to the operation but that is all in the past now."

Evans' immediate concern will be to make the cut. No pro wants to go home early. After today he will have gained a feel of the course particularly the greens. If the magic touch is there a lot will depend on the pin placings which will be changed as the championship progresses.

Spectacular shots are all very well but this championship, like all others, will be decided with the putter in hand and Evans is pleased with the tools of his trade.

"I've got the same clubs and the same caddy, Dominic, as I had last year at Muirfield so, in that respect, nothing has changed."

Except, of course, Evans is another year older and wiser and, importantly, in form and no longer just another name on the leaderboard.

Those at Sandwich and the vast TV audience will need no reminding that Gary Evans was the player who thought of his mother at a peak moment in his career.

There is always a place in the hearts of the sporting public for a player who suddenly remembers where he came from.

Evans has never got above himself although should he cause a sensation this week and lift the Old Claret Jug he might have to be dragged down from Cloud Nine.