Jean Van de Velde is a name that the younger fans of the game may not be too familiar with.
However, it’s fair to say that he was involved in one of the worst, yet most memorable, collapses in major championship history 27 years ago.
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Van de Velde stepped onto the 18th tee at Carnoustie on Sunday at The Open Championship in 1999 with a three-shot lead over Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard.
He needed to make a six at worst on the par-four final hole in order to lift the Claret Jug.
18 Jul 1999: Jean Van De Velde of France looks at his ball in the burn on the 18th hole during the British Open played at the Carnoustie GC in Carnoustie, Scotland. Mandatory Credit: Ross Kinnaird /Allsport
However, what happened next went down in folklore as the Frenchman made a triple bogey before losing out to Lawrie in the playoff.
His second shot ricocheted off the grandstands and bounced back behind the Barry Burn. However, he then dumped his third into said Burn. After taking a penalty drop, his fifth shot found the bunker before he got up and down for a seven.
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Jean Van de Velde endures PGA Tour Champions nightmare
Van de Velde actually became quite famous after his Carnoustie meltdown.
What was so impressive about the aftermath of his nightmare finish at The Open was how well he handled everything.
He never allowed himself to get too down and he embraced what happened, rather than allow it to swallow him up.
And he will need that mentality yet again this week after a disastrous showing on the PGA Tour Champions.
Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
Van de Velde made his first start on the PGA Tour Champions since 2024 this week in Morocco at the Trophy Hassan II.
However, things didn’t go to plan for him on day one, as he fired a shocking 14-over par 87 on Thursday at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.
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The Frenchman made just one birdie, seven bogeys, two double bogeys and a quadruple bogey during his opening round in Morocco.
He is sitting dead last in the 66-man field after his first round, four strokes behind 65th-placed Jay Don Blake.
Jean Van de Velde won’t let PGA Tour Champions struggles get him down
Hopefully Van de Velde will come out on Friday and play a decent round of golf.
However, the great thing with the Frenchman is that even if he doesn’t, he won’t let it bother him too much.
He proved back in 1999 that he doesn’t allow his golf to determine his mood, and the game certainly doesn’t define who he is.
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Van de Velde may come out on Friday at the Trophy Hassan II and shoot a solid score, or he might post another 87.
The one thing that is guaranteed is that his infectious positive attitude will not change one bit, regardless of how his second round in Morocco pans out.
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