Grégory Havret will look to clinch his first victory in over ten years when he tees it up on home soil at Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge at Golf PGA France du Le Vaudreuil from July 11-14.
The 42-year-old is one of 46 Frenchmen in the field this week aiming to follow in the footsteps of compatriots Robin Roussel and Antoine Rozner by clinching a title on the European Challenge Tour this season.
Havret last tasted success at the 2008 Johnnie Walker Championship on the European Tour, but after four top 15 results in eight Challenge Tour events, to sit in 25th position in the Rankings, momentum is starting to build.
A tied tenth result in Italy two weeks ago, where he started the final round in a four-way tie for third place, was the latest strong finish by the three-time European Tour winner and now he is focused on grasping an important win, which could make all the difference in his quest for a top 15 finish and graduation to the European Tour.
“I would be very, very happy to win, especially on French soil,” he said. “I haven’t won since 2008 on the European Tour, and that was a long time ago.
“The winning feeling is amazing wherever you win; whether it’s a big or small event on the European Tour or a victory on the Challenge Tour. It’s a fantastic accomplishment where you feel very proud and it means your work is going in the right direction.
“There are plenty of tournaments in the second part of the season and I’m sure I am going to have a chance to do well in a few of them. I think you need to get a win or to get lots of top ten finishes in order to graduate at the end of the year, either way you will need to play really well. Hopefully in the next ten or 12 tournaments I will get my chance which will be very important to take.”
Havret is one of six French players inside the top 30 in the season-long Rankings, with Rozner out in front and Roussel and Mathieu Fenasse occupying fourth and tenth place, respectively. With so many French players battling for position on the Challenge Tour, Havret is looking forward to seeing the outcome of his countrymen come the end of the season.
“Antoine is leading the Rankings and Robin Roussel is having a great year so far. Mathieu Fenasse is doing well, I’m doing okay and I’m sure that guys behind me will be playing better at the end of the year,” he said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if several French players get their European Tour card at the end of the year. I’m pretty sure at least three will make it, maybe four, and why not five. That would be great because the quality is definitely there.
“I love playing on home soil. We have four events in France on the Challenge Tour, plus the French Open, which is good for French golf and especially for the young kids to have such an opportunity to play big events.”
The seventh edition of the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge gets under way at 7:40am local time, with Havret teeing off from the tenth tee at 8:20am.
