Evans Keeps These Birdies From Flying Away
Carey Evans of El Camino Real High turned to his playing partners and made a bold statement.
“I’m going to birdie the last four holes,” he said, standing at the 15th tee at Harding Golf Course in Griffith Park.
Who did he think he was, Tiger Woods?
He proceeded to birdie Nos. 15, 16 and 17. On 18, he nearly broke his promise by barely missing a putt for an eagle. He settled for another birdie and finished with a one-over-par 73 to win the City 5-A League championship.
“We didn’t believe you,” one of Evans’ competitors told him. “We thought you were joking.”
Evans’ golf skills are no joke. During spring break, he had nine birdies and four bogeys during an 18-hole practice round at Harding, one of two courses that will be used for the City Championships on May 16-17.
“I’ve been trying to win the City Championship since I was a freshman,” the 6-foot-1, 165-pound senior said. “I’m playing real well right now, and Griffith Park has some of my favorite courses.”
He can reach the greens in two strokes on par-fives, which helps explain his 40 eagles since his sophomore year. But he considers his short game, within 70 yards, his strength.
“I really stopped preoccupying myself with distance,” he said. “That was a real problem for me when I was a freshman. I’d try to hit the ball way too far. Most of your potential energy is lost when you try to swing too hard and try to force it.”
Evans said mastering the mental aspects of golf is crucial to success.
“When I was a freshman or sophomore and hit a bad shot, I’d beat myself up,” he said. “Being a good golfer is almost all mental. It’s about patience and recovering from bad shots. Playing 18 holes of golf at a high level is an exhausting thing.”
Evans started playing golf when he was 10. He was visiting his grandparents in Hawaii and wound up on a golf course.
“I was more excited about driving the carts,” he said. “After that, I asked my dad every week if I could play golf.”
He was born at the right time, because when he enrolled at El Camino Real as a freshman, the school had just restarted its golf program.
He works several days a week at Woodland Hills Country Club. The benefits include two rounds of golf, hitting range balls and getting to caddy for top amateurs Tim Hogarth and Mike Turner.
Evans plans to attend Auburn this fall and try out for the team as a walk-on.
As for his favorite golfer, don’t assume it’s Woods.
“I love to watch Tiger,” Evans said. “He’s an amazing golfer, but Tiger is not my favorite. It’s Steve Elkington. He has the most beautiful swing I’ve ever seen.”
Last year, Evans finished tied for 10th in the City Championships, 14 shots behind champion Jay Montes of Sylmar. Evans was assessed a two-stroke penalty for talking to a spectator in the gallery, a punishment that still baffles him.
“He said, ‘Hello,’ and I said, ‘Hello,’ ” Evans said. “I saw absolutely no grounds [for the penalty] and I still don’t understand the ruling today. It’s high school golf. If you can’t talk to people, I think it ruins the fun of it. I consider myself a friendly person. I like to talk to everyone I can.”
But don’t expect Evans to take any chances at this year’s City tournament.
“Maybe I’ll get some kind of duct tape and tape my mouth shut,” he said.
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Tuesday night has become dunk night at Chatsworth, where 6-3 junior Frank Robinson puts on a dunking exhibition during the Chancellors’ spring basketball league. He averaged 39 points on the junior varsity team and seems to be making a smooth transition to varsity for his senior season. . . .
If you’re a basketball fan, plan to spend Wednesday nights at Crespi this summer. The Celts have one of the most competitive summer leagues for boys’ teams.
Aside from the host Celts, the league is comprised of Simi Valley, Westlake, Agoura, Royal, Newbury Park, Oak Park, Saugus, Chaminade, Canyon, Taft and North Hollywood. . . .
Oak Park pulled off a coup by convincing Ed Chevalier to come out of retirement to coach its boys’ basketball team. Chevalier coached at Thousand Oaks for 18 years before retiring in 1997.
“It’s a hard game to stay away from,” he said.
Chevalier’s hair is a little grayer, but his mind and body are full of vigor. . . .
The Battle of the Valley all-star basketball games for boys’ and girls’ players is scheduled for Saturday night at Cal State Northridge. It’s a City vs. Southern Section format.
The boys’ game will feature a duel between Cody Pearson of Notre Dame and Cecil Brown of Canoga Park. The girls’ game features Crystal McCutcheon of Antelope Valley taking on Alexis Weatherspoon of Grant. . . .
It’s time for City Section coaches to hold their breath. The open enrollment period has begun. Students can apply to transfer to schools that have openings until May 25. Taft once again has the most openings among Valley high schools with 275 slots. . . .
May 15 is the deadline for athletes to declare their intention to transfer to a Southern Section school under open enrollment. Two juniors-to-be already have declared they are transferring to Oaks Christian--running back Adam Ricter and offensive lineman Jordan Drake of Agoura. . . .
The City Section Rules Committee is recommending that schools be allowed to hold voluntary practices on holidays. A final vote will be taken in June. It could be known as the Troy Starr Rule, since the Taft football coach was suspended for holding practice on Labor Day last year. . . .
Baseball’s amateur draft is scheduled for June 5-6. My recommendation to local scouts: Take shortstop J.T. Stotts of Northridge. He’ll be a major leaguer for 10 years or longer. . . .
Junior Ryan Braun of Granada Hills has the sweetest swing since Robert Redford in “The Natural.” He’s going to make a living hitting baseballs.
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Eric Sondheimer’s column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422 or eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
