Jean Van de Velde
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| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Birth | May 29, 1966 Mont-de-Marsan, France |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 168 lb (76 kg) |
| Nationality |  France |
| Residence | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| College | None |
| Career | |
| Turned Pro | 1987 |
| Current tour | European Tour |
| Professional wins | 4 (European Tour: 2, Other: 2) |
| Best Results in Major Championships | |
| Masters | T19: 2000 |
| U.S. Open | T45: 2002 |
| British Open | T2: 1999 |
| PGA Championship | T30: 2000 |
Jean Van de Velde (born 29 May 1966 in Mont-de-Marsan, Landes) is a French golfer who is known mainly for his loss at The Open Championship in 1999.
Van de Velde turned professional in 1987 and his rookie season on the European Tour was 1989. His first European Tour win was the 1993 Roma Masters. He has twice finished in the top twenty of the Order of Merit, but ranks as one of the Tour's journeymen.
Contents |
[edit] 1999 Open Championship
Van de Velde nearly pulled off an upset victory at the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie, when he was the clear leader playing the closing holes. He arrived at the 18th tee needing only a double-bogey six to become the first Frenchman since 1907 to win the tournament. He had played error-free golf for much of the week and birdied the 18th hole in each of his two prior rounds. Despite a three-shot lead, Van de Velde chose to use his driver off the tee, and proceeded to drive the ball to the right of the burn and was lucky to find land. Rather than laying up and hitting the green with his third, Van de Velde decided to go for the green with his second shot. His shot drifted right and hit the grandstands on the side of the green and bounced fifty yards backwards into knee deep rough. On his third shot, Van de Velde's club got tangled in the rough on his downswing, and his ball flew into the Barry Burn. He removed his shoes and socks and gingerly stepped through shin-deep water as he debated whether to try to hit his ball out of the Barry Burn, which guards the 18th green. Ultimately, he took a drop and also hit his fifth shot into the greenside bunker. Van de Velde blasted to within six feet from the hole, and made the putt for a triple-bogey seven, dropping him into a three-way playoff with Justin Leonard and Paul Lawrie. Lawrie would eventually triumph in the playoff.
[edit] Later career
In the new millennium, Van de Velde was troubled by injuries for several years, but he made a dramatic comeback at the 2005 Open de France, where he lost a playoff to fellow Frenchman Jean-François Remésy (after, once again, finding water on the last hole). In 2006, he won his second European Tour title at the Madeira Island Open.
[edit] Amateur wins (3)
- 1985 French Youths Championship
- 1986 French Youths Championship, French Amateur Championship
[edit] Professional wins (4)
[edit] European Tour wins (2)
[edit] Other wins (2)
- 1988 UAP Under-25s Championship
- 1998 Championnat de France Pro
[edit] Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| British Open | CUT | DNP | T34 | T38 | DNP | DNP | CUT | DNP | T2 |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | T19 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open | CUT | DNP | T45 | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| British Open | T31 | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| PGA Championship | T30 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
[edit] Team appearances
[edit] Amateur
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing France): 1986
- St Andrews Trophy (representing Continental Europe): 1986
[edit] Professional
- Ryder Cup (representing Europe): : 1999
- Alfred Dunhill Cup (representing France): : 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999
- World Cup (representing France): : 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2006
- The Seve Trophy (representing Continental Europe): : 2000 (winners)
[edit] Trivia
Van de Velde made light of his 1999 Open collapse in a humorous Never Compromise infomercial in which he replayed Carnoustie's 18th hole in the dead of winter with only the company's brand putter in an attempt to best the seven strokes that cost him the championship. He succeeded on his third attempt.
