Evans lucky as Bennett suffers

Club professional Neil Evans was called into the Open Championship today when European Tour player Warren Bennett's injury jinx struck again.

The 27-year-old from the Greetham Valley course in Rutland was out practising with last year's US Open champion Jim Furyk when Bennett sustained a recurrence of a shoulder injury.

Evans came through regional qualifying in fourth place at Hollinwell then won a play-off for the third reserve spot at Turnberry Kintyre.

Then Australian Mark Hensby turned down his exempt spot from winning the John Deere Classic in Illinois on Sunday, being replaced by Glasgow's Barry Hume, and Toshi Izawa's place was taken by Heswall's Ian Spencer after the Japanese player pulled out injured.

Former British youth champion Bennett was leading amateur in the 1994 Open at Turnberry and later that season outscored Tiger Woods in the world amateur team championship.

After turning professional he sat out most of 1996 with a twisted vertebrae and after winning the Scottish PGA title three years later suffered pneumonia and then a serious neck injury.