Havret shows courage before arriving at Pebble

Gregory Havret had to put up a fight to make it through U.S. Open qualifying.

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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Gregory Havret’s improbable run never would have taken place if not for two putts holed thousands of miles from here and weeks before the U.S. Open started.

Havret had to hole a 50-foot putt on the final hole of a U.S. Open qualifier in Surrey, England, just to get into a playoff for one of the final two spots. He sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to earn his spot in the U.S. Open.

“He’s got plenty of bottle (slang for courage) and plenty of nerves,” his caddie, Gary Melia said.

Havret’s second-place finish at Pebble earned him $810,000 and moved him from No. 391 to 104th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

If you haven’t heard of Havret, here’s the quick primer. He’s a three-time European Tour winner, and a former European Amateur champ. His most notable victory came at the 2007 Scottish Open, when he beat Phil Mickelson in a playoff.