Play-off is golf’s version of Russia roulette and Phil Mickelson ended up on the wrong side of it as Frenchman Gregory Havret pipped the American to the post and lifted the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.
There was a huge gap in the rankings ladder with Mickelson up there at the third place and the 30-year-old Havret at a dismal 320. But the Frenchman seemed to have scant respect for rankings as he first joined Mickelson at 14-under 270 after four rounds to force a play-off and then walked away with the silverware.
The win also opens British Open’s gate for Havret. In contrast, the defeat means Mickelson failed to become the first US winner of the event since Tom Lehman, who won it in 1997.
On the play-off 18th hole, Havret found the bunker but still managed a par, while a wayward Mickelson dropped a bogey to crash out of title contention.
With the winner’s purse of $ 1.02 million in his pocket, Havret was ecstatic after the win and said
It’s just a dream - I can’t say more.
Ernie Els finished third just one shot off the lead, followed by fellow South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Richard Sterne, Englishman Luke Donald and Swede Pelle Edberg.
