By Ryan Segal
Ted Evetts has described Minehead as “very special” as he gears up for his return to the UK Open.
Super Ted has an excellent relationship with the Butlins stage, having won his World Youth Championship on the site in 2021.
He's also reached the L32 twice in this very tournament, including in his last appearance in 2023.
He's looking to use the tournament to kick start his season, after not consistently finding his best in the early stages:
“It's been a poor start really from myself.
I kind of feel like patches have been very nice, but just the consistency has been killing me, really.”
He arrives into the event courtesy of his performances on the Challenge Tour in 2025, finishing 3rd on the Order of Merit, narrowly missing out on a return to the Professional ranks.
The method of getting to Minehead is irrelevant, however, to Ted – who's just happy to be back.
“For me, it's weird when I'm not there in a way, as this is my eighth UK Open.
It's just nice to be back down there after a couple of years away from it.
Every time that I go down there, I seem to play well, whether results go my way or not.
It's a bit different, but I always seem to play to a decent standard down there.
And obviously with the World Youth title being there, it's very special.
I always seem to have decent support down there, too.”When it comes to planning ahead, he knows where the day might take him – but that doesn't mean he's taking anything for granted:
“You always have a look to see where you are in the next rounds, as you need to know where you need to be.
There's no point in you winning your first game and then not knowing where to go next.
But at the same time, you don't go down there expecting wins.
You go down there confident - because you have to - but you don't go down knowing you're going to win games.
You take each game as it comes, but you still have to know where you need to be for your next game.”
Off the back of his start to the year, Super Ted doesn't have a particular target for how far he wants to get – but he knows how he wants to play:
“This is going to sound really cheesy, but because of how the form's been recently, and because it's been so yo-yo-y with results and with performance – I just want to enjoy being down there.
That said - I've got a target average that I want to play to.
But if I don't, and I win, I don't care about the number.
If I lose and it's and the average is of that number, then do you know what?
I can't argue with it, because I know how I've been playing and I know what I'd like to be showing down there in my own game.
As long as I'm winning games, then I'm happy.
But if I play well, and it means someone has to play well to beat me, then that's what it will be.”He knows he's got the game in his locker to take on the best – but recognises the strength of the field:
“Everyone down there is relatively within the same standard of bracket, as such.
So we know we're not going to go down there and draw someone from your local Monday night team that's gonna throw a 45 average at you.
Everyone down there is there on merit, like by qualifying and being there or having a tour card so they don't have to qualify.”