Gregory Havret Archives - Golf Digest Middle East https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/tag/gregory-havret/ Golf Instruction, Equipment, Courses, Travel, News Sat, 24 Feb 2018 05:58:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/gd-favicon.ico Gregory Havret Archives - Golf Digest Middle East https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/tag/gregory-havret/ 32 32 Dubai-based Otaegui takes lead into moving day in Doha https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/dubai-based-otaegui-takes-lead-moving-day-doha/ https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/dubai-based-otaegui-takes-lead-moving-day-doha/#respond Sat, 24 Feb 2018 05:58:44 +0000 http://golfdigestme.com/?p=13797 Dubai-domiciled Spaniard Adrian Otaegui will take a one shot buffer into moving day at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters but looked in a hurry to get to Sunday as early as Friday night. The 25-year-old rattled off three successive birdies on the 16th, 17th and 18th at Doha Golf Club to sign for a 66 […]

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]]> Dubai-domiciled Spaniard Adrian Otaegui will take a one shot buffer into moving day at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters but looked in a hurry to get to Sunday as early as Friday night.

The 25-year-old rattled off three successive birdies on the 16th, 17th and 18th at Doha Golf Club to sign for a 66 to move to 11-under, a stroke ahead of Scot Stephen Gallacher, Frenchman Grégory Havret, England’s Eddie Pepperell and South African Erik van Rooyen.

Otaegui won his first European Tour title at last season’s Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play and has developed in one of the most consistent performers on Tour, making his last nine cuts. He opened with a bogey-free 67 on Thursday and went one better in round two, making a single bogey as he leapfrogged Van Rooyen, who had set the target in the morning.

“I know I’m playing well, I’m confident with my game at the moment and I’m just trying to keep my momentum going,” said Otaegui.

“I’m really looking forward to the weekend now. I just wanted to stay patient hole after hole and we’ll see what happens.”

Van Rooyen, the rookie who finished third on last year’s Challenge Tour to earn his spot on the European Tour, has made himself right at home, finishing second at the Joburg Open in December and is well placed to make a weekend charge for a maiden win here in Qatar.

“Patience has been the key for me over the last couple of days,” said the South African, who followed an opening 68 with a 66.

“It’s quite a tricky course and my first time here so it’s really fun out there. The whole experience has been fantastic. Mentally I’ve been really good, I haven’t been flustered at all and I’m putting really well so I’m just going to stick with that. I’m in a good spot and looking forward to it.”

Pepperell and Havret had held a share of the day one lead and they both carded rounds of 69 in the afternoon to remain side by side. Havret stayed bogey-free for the week, making birdies on the 12th, 16th and first, while Pepperell recovered from a bogey on the sixth with an eagle on the tenth and gains on the 16th and last.

Gallacher was unblemished in his 66, the highlight being a 50-foot putt on the 13th to add to birdies on the first, fourth, ninth, 14th and 17th.

South African George Coetzee also signed for a 66 to sit in the group at nine under that also includes German Sebastian Heisele, Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal Crocker and Fisher.

Crocker eagled the 16th and the last in a spectacular end to his 68 – a clear sign that he is adapting well to his new surroundings. The 21-year-old has no official status on the European Tour and played his first four events of the season on invites, securing an impressive pair of top tens in Australia.

Of the players with local connections, MENA Tour player Josh White of England took full advantage of his invite following his Qatar Open professional victory to make the cut on the mark.

Pakistani amateur Ahmed Baig shot an impressive three under par 69 in the second round but missed the second round cut at one under for 36 holes. Also missing the cut was defending champion Jeunghun Wang on one under.

Moroccan professional Ahmed Marjan shot a two round total of one over par while local and regional amateurs Ali Saleh al Kaaba (Qatar) shot eight over par, Shergo al Kurdi (Jordan) nine over par and Ali al Shahrani (Qatar) 13 over par for their respective two round scores.

The last group of Pepperell, van Rooyen and Otaegui are out at 11:20am on Saturday.

 

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]]> https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/dubai-based-otaegui-takes-lead-moving-day-doha/feed/ 0 Pepperell poised in Doha, co-leads with Havret and rookie Rai https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/pepperell-poised-doha-co-leads-havret-rookie-rai/ https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/pepperell-poised-doha-co-leads-havret-rookie-rai/#respond Fri, 23 Feb 2018 03:47:48 +0000 http://golfdigestme.com/?p=13754 Eddie Pepperell, Grégory Havret and Aaron Rai share the first round lead in Doha.

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]]> Pepperell hits an approach shot on the 1st hole during the first round of the Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club on February 22, 2018. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images)

By Kent Gray
Eddie Pepperell pens an insightful and often deeply personal blog and his regular musings on social media, even those non golf related, are also anticipated for their thoughtful frankness.

On Thursday, the 27-year-old Englishman did his entertaining not online but instead on course, grabbing a share of the first round lead at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters with Frenchman Grégory Havret and rookie compatriot Aaron Rai.

After missing cuts in Abu Dhabi and Dubai before also-ran performances of 80th and T-44 in Kuala Lumpur and Muscat respectively, the seven-under 65 at Doha Golf Club was a unexpected beacon amid a relatively gloomy start to the season. But Pepperell, coming off the back of his career best 41st placing in last season’s Race to Dubai, felt form brewing even in the same week he’s taken on a new coach.

In a tweet on Monday, Pepperell hinted as much in his typically self-deprecating way.

“I hit it so well on the range today I almost posted a video. Then I realised even I don’t give a s…”

He continued on Thursday after a round of eight birdies and a solitary bogey blemish on the par-3 13th.

“I’ve made some changes this week with personnel so I’ve been working on a couple of new things and I surprised myself out there with how well I managed to trust it,” he told EuropeanTour.com.

“It’s been pretty nice on the range, although yesterday it was a bit of a grind, a bit of a struggle in the afternoon so I was in my room in my boxers doing some drills last night.”

We can confirm the hotel grind via this tweet. Thankfully had a pair of shorts on too.

“I’m looking forward to the weekend but even more so moving forward to the rest of the season. I want to push forward and I just feel like my game has been hitting ceilings a bit. I want to break through that.” So far so good in Qatar.

Like Pepperell, Havret and Rai made the most unusually benign morning conditions at Doha where there was even rain for the first time since last March.

Havret has missed as many cuts as made in six starts this season including at last week’s new NBO Oman Open but produce a bogey-free card that included five gains in a six hole stretch mid round. It was a tasty start for the 41-year-old who is searching for his fourth European Tour title – 10 years after he won the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in Scotland.

“I was putting well and that’s definitely the key,” Havret said. “Last week I didn’t play much different and I missed the cut by a lot.

“As soon as you feel your putting is not able to compensate for your mistakes you put more pressure on your driving and your iron shots and then it can be a disaster as you try things that you normally don’t. It’s all part of the process, if you putt well you feel comfortable.”

Rai won three times on the Challenge Tour last season to earn automatic promotion to the European Tour but like Havret has had just a 50 percent success rate in terms of cuts made in his six starts on the main tour this far.

He had the most impressive finish of the co-leaders with an eagle three on 18.

“Gameplan-wise, you have to be doing something right and playing some good golf to shoot a 65 so I’ll just continue in the same vein and try not to change too much.”

For the record, England’s Oliver Fisher, Italian Edoardo Molinari, Spaniard Alvaro Quiros and German Marcel Schneider are a shot off the lead after 66s. Among the seven players tied for 8th after 65s are Dubai-domiciled Spaniard Adrian Otaegui and MENA Tour regular Joshua White (ENG).

But the last word, or tweet at least, to Pepperell. How did you celebrate you best Thursday of the season?

It was certainly sweet day for the Englishman.

 

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