Havret pulls off shock win

France’s Gregory Havret, ranked 320th in the world, pulled off one of the golfing shocks of the season when he beat American star Phil Mickelson, the world number three, in the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond today.

– It did not look a fair fight – world number three against world number 320.

And the 30-year-old’s reward was not only a cheque for £500,000, almost four times the previous biggest of his career just last week, but also a place in the Open at Carnoustie starting on Thursday.

Even after seeing the last of a three-stroke lead disappear when he bogeyed the 16th Mickelson appeared back on course for his expected victory – the 34th of his professional career, but first outside the United States since 1993 – when he rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt on the next.

But he bogeyed the last after a poor drive and overhit third, then did exactly the same when they went into sudden death.

Havret, whose one previous Tour win in nearly 200 starts was at the 2001 Italian Open, was himself bunkered in two, but he splashed out to within six feet of the flag and when he made the par putt was showered in champagne by his compatriots Thomas Levet and Raphael Jacquelin.

“It’s just a dream – I can’t say more,” said Havret, whose nerve was tested in a different way only a month ago when he faced a bull in a Spanish bullring during a bizarre soccer match on a friend’s stag party.

His three under closing 68 was far from the lowest round of his career, but it was certainly the sweetest.

Havret took the trophy with a 14 under par total of 270, while Mickelson, who was 1/25 favourite with five holes to play, still moves up to world number two ahead of Jim Furyk, but clearly has to work to do yet on his driving before he tries to deny Tiger Woods a hat-trick of Open crowns.

When they went into their play-off it still did not look an even contest. Havret had lost his one previous play-off on the circuit, while in America Mickelson’s record was seven wins and one defeat – to Jesper Parnevik seven years ago.

But Havret fully deserved his success and a week after the disappointment of losing out on an Open spot to Swede Pelle Edberg by virtue of a worse last round in the European Open after they had both finished third he is into Europe’s top 10 this season.