Havret Ends 27-Year, 560 Event DP World Tour Career Singling Out US Open Final Round Alongside Tiger

1 year ago by Comments Off on Havret Ends 27-Year, 560 Event DP World Tour Career Singling Out US Open Final Round Alongside Tiger

Afftable Frenchman Gregory Havret ended his 27-year, 560 event DP World Tour tournament career singling out the highlight as playing the final round of the 2010 US Open alongside Tiger Woods.

Havret, 47, intends now turning his attention to working with French Golf Federation juniors after holing a 13-inch 72nd hole par putt in a closing round 70 for a one-under-par tally and an eventual share of 61st place in the 106th hosting of the FedEx Open de France title in outer Versailles.

Havret had made his DP World Tour debut in the 1997 Lacombe Trophy, and on the other side of Versailles at the Sainte Nom-la-Bretsche club, while making his Open de France debut a year later.  He secured his full Tour card in 2001, and then in his penultimate event of that year the La Rochelle-born player captured the Italian Open.

He claimed the biggest win of his long pro career in 2007 when he humbled visiting American Phil Mickelson to capture the Scottish Open in a play-off at Loch Lomond.

Havret won for a second time in Scotland a year later thanks to a four-stroke triumph a year later at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

But it was in June 2010 that Havret singled out the moment of his near 30-year pro car”eer and that came at the US Open along the shoreline at Pebble Beach in California when the proud French golfer found himself grouped with Tiger Woods in the final round.

“I’m always in between the win in Scotland against Mickelson obviously, Scottish Open, because you have the trophy in the end,” he said.

“And of course, the second spot at U.S. Open in 2010 was something playing with Tiger at Pebble Beach. But I would say the U.S. Open one because this is the last round my father saw me playing. It’s obviously something, he passed away a few months later, and having him, this memory, Tiger Woods, Pebble Beach, having a chance, six-foot on the last to force the playoff maybe was something. So yeah, I would say that day was the one”.

Havret along with fellow countrymen Raphael Jacquelin, Thomas Levet, Jean Van deVelde, Gregory Boudy, Marc Farry, Berjamin Herbet, Jean-Francois Remesey and the likes of Marc Farry and Victor Dubuisson has been at the backbone of French male golf for so long.

And it was always going to be an emotion occasion when Havret from his final DP World Tour green.

“This is big. I started years ago in ’97 and well finished 27 years on tour, The French Open means a lot for me,” he said.

“I started in Trophée Lancôme, which is also French soil, and there’s been so many things in this area that happen with me professionally, many stuff up-and-down and also family-wise.

“My father would be really proud, but he passed away, what, 12, 13 years ago. I mean, it’s a huge mix of emotions, and this is a huge family for me. I have obviously my blood family, my kids and wife and mother and brothers, and I’m thinking a lot about them, and my father is up there somewhere watching me.

“I’m just leaving this tour, and I enjoyed every single minute, as I said to the boys a few days ago, we had quite a big dinner, 50 of us on Tuesday night, I was happy to make the cut after that. It’s just a family because we spoke about so many things that even a bad day or travel with the bags from the airport or the three-putt on the last one. We had so many good dinners and so many chats about it, and so many things all together that are stopping in a way, because I’m not stopping everything in golf obviously, but yeah, it’s a little bit hard for me right now.

“But I enjoy it so much”.

Well said Gregory and thank you for so many fond memories.



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