Havret wins Johhnie Walker Championship

Jubilant Oliver Wilson joined Justin Rose and Soren Hansen in clinching a Ryder Cup debut today – but only after being given the fright of his life.

The 27-year-old from Mansfield – what a month for that town following Rebecca Adlington’s two Olympic gold medals – knew as he came to the closing stretch of the final qualifying event that the only way he would miss out was if Nick Dougherty won the Johnnie Walker Championship at rain-soaked Gleneagles.

Aware that Dougherty, joint 16th overnight, had bogeyed three of the first six holes, Wilson felt he was cruising in.

Until, that is, he looked at the leaderboard on the final hole. It showed the Liverpudlian with five successive birdies around the turn and another at the 14th.

“I lost my concentration for a second,” said Wilson.

But Dougherty was still three shots off the lead and by failing to birdie any of the final four he finished joint seventh.

So Wilson, 10th on the points table as well as in the tournament, becomes the first player to represent Europe against the Americans without first winning a professional tournament.

Four second places this year have got him in.

Rose and Hansen, who have not won this season either, partnered each other for the final lap of the 12-month race and, pretty much certain of their spots when they teed off, gave what Rose called “high fives and a manly hug” on the last.

They finished fifth and 10th in the event respectively, while the trophy and the £233,330 first prize went to Frenchman Gregory Havret, whose eagle on the long ninth and birdies at the 14th and 16th enabled him to beat England’s Graeme Storm by one.

Havret, who led at the end of each round, finished with a 14-under-par total of 278 to add the title to his Scottish Open victory last year. Perhaps he should start wearing a kilt.

Swede Peter Hanson and former Ryder Cup player David Howell, in a welcome return to form, were joint third.

Asked if they might name a pub in Mansfield after him just like Adlington, Wilson just smiled and said: “I am not that special. Two gold medals are.”

If he becomes the hero at Valhalla next month, perhaps he will also be paraded through the streets. He might not ask for a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes, though.