Havret's play-off shock Opens Carnoustie door

AFTER pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the sporting year, Gregory Havret now has the chance to cause an even bigger shock at Carnoustie this week.

Phil Mickelson was such a favourite with a round of the Barclays Scottish Open to play that one bookmaker even suggested the three-time major winner should be presented with the trophy before he teed off.

But Frenchman Havret, despite his world ranking of 320th, had other ideas. A closing 68 was good enough to force a play-off and a par on the first hole of sudden death brought him his second European Tour title, a cheque for £500,000 and a place in the Open starting on Thursday.

The erratic Mickelson had bogeyed the 18th in regulation - he carded three bogeys and three birdies in the last six holes - and did so again in the play-off.

Havret found a greenside bunker in two but splashed out to six feet. When he made the putt, he was immediately soaked in champagne by compatriots Thomas Levet and Raphael Jacquelin.

Now the 30-year-old's attention turns to Carnoustie where, eight years ago, another Frenchman unforgettably came so close to lifting the Claret Jug.

Jean Van de Velde held a three-shot lead with one hole to play in 1999 only to run up a triple-bogey seven and eventually lose in a play-off with Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard.

He misses out on an emotional return after failing to qualify as he battles a mystery illness, with more tests planned in Biarritz today. In his absence, three other Frenchmen - Jacquelin, Gregory Bourdy and now Havret - will carry their nation's hopes.

"Just to play with Phil was awesome and to win is 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 as part of a friend's stag party. Havret fully deserved his success and his place in Europe's top ten this season, which comes a week after the disappointment of losing out on an Open spot to Swede Pelle Edberg. That was by virtue of a worse final round in the European Open after they had both finished third.

Havret took the trophy yesterday with a 14-under-par total of 270. 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 work to do yet on his driving before he tries to deny Tiger Woods a hat-trick of Open crowns.

Havret added: "I was disappointed last week, but knew I had another chance to get in the Open and I was really playing well. I knew it was possible, especially on a course I love so much."

By that, he probably meant grabbing the Open spot was possible, not winning a tournament featuring seven of the world's top 20. And after winning £140,000 in Ireland - itself the biggest cheque of his career at the time - Havret has now hit the jackpot, his future secure for at least two more years.

Carnoustie will be the first major of Havret's career - he missed out by a single shot at qualifying for the US Open last month and five times in Open qualifying. He said: "I love Carnoustie too and it's lucky because it's the Open course I know best through the dunhill links championship every year.

"Of course I remember Jean in 1999. It's been a nightmare for him and it was crazy to see him playing that well and putting that well for 71 holes and finishing like that. But it can happen. Every time I stand on the 18th, there we have a little something from Jean. It's never finished before the last putt - that can be so true."

Meanwhile, Open Championship favourite Woods once again found himself the centre of attention as he began preparations for this year's event at Carnoustie. Most of the golfers who had arrived yesterday in Angus for some early practice slipped off the 18th tee unnoticed by the crowds.

But when Woods finished his practice round, the scores of fans who had followed him around the course were joined by many more seeking autographs and pictures.

The 31-year-old American was escorted through the throng by course security and police in what was a taster for the rest of the week.

After winning at St Andrews and Hoylake, Woods is aiming to become only the second modern-day golfer to win the tournament three years in a row, following in the footsteps of Peter Thomson, who achieved the feat in 1956.

Despite his Pied Piper impression, Woods was in fine spirits, praising the course which was lambasted for its toughness the last time the Open was held there in 1999.

He said: "It's playing great. It's really nice, really fair." Asked if it had changed from the last time he played eight years ago, Woods said: "Yes, you might say that."