Havret takes lead in Copenhagen

France’s Gregory Havret ended almost two years of misery in the inaugural Nordic Open in Copenhagen today.

Havret carded a second-round 63, just one shot outside the course record set by compatriot Raphael Jacquelin on Thursday, for a 13-under-par halfway total at Simon’s Golf Club.

It gave the 26-year-old a two-shot lead over English duo David Gilford and David Lynn and Swede Patrik Sjoland, with two more Englishmen, Andrew Raitt and Phillip Archer, a shot further back on 10 under.

Home favourite Thomas Bjorn, battling a stiff neck, was five shots off the pace after adding a second-round 69 to his opening 67.

Havret won the Italian Open at the end of his rookie season in 2001 but has enjoyed just one top-10 finish since, and before this week was a collective 175 over par for all the tournaments played since his victory in Sardinia.

“I tried to change some things just after that win because I wanted a better game, more consistent,” said Havret, who is based near EuroDisney just outside Paris.

“I tried some wrong things but now I am working with Fabrice Tarnaud, who played the European Tour for five or six years, and things are improving now.

“I want to rediscover the game I used to have in 2001 because I had already secured my card before Italy so it was a good year even without that.”

Gilford has not won since claiming his fifth and sixth tour titles in 1994, the year before he was surprisingly Europe’s joint top points scorer in the Ryder Cup victory at Oak Hill.

The 37-year-old from Crewe is one of the shortest hitters in the game and is enjoying the hot and dry conditions which make the course play even shorter than its 7,027 yards – already short by modern standards.

“I think some of these courses over 7,300 yards are limiting the number of people who are going to be in contention,” said Gilford. “Here with the weather and the ball running it helps a lot of people.

“You’ve still got to get the job done and I’m pleased to be in contention. The last couple of years have been okay but the previous three weren’t enjoyable.

“There is a long way to go and it would be nice to be in the shake-up.”

Colin Montgomerie was among the afternoon starters and began his round in the knowledge he would have to improve on his opening 70 just to make the cut.

There had been no fewer than 571 birdies, 25 eagles and even one albatross on the opening day but Montgomerie had contributed just three of those birdies.

The 40-year-old Scot, returning to action for the first time since being forced to pull out of the Open with a hand injury, quickly doubled his tally this afternoon however with a hat-trick of birdies from the third to improve to five under par.