Jean Van de Velde
There are moments in sport when you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing. The climax of the 1999 Open Championship was no exception.
Playing golf in Normandy at the tender age of 11, I approached the 18th hole to rapturous noise. And it wasn’t because I was tapping home for a bogey six and three points – take that Kyle Stanley.
A crazy Frenchman came running out onto the veranda, overlooking the final green, screaming ‘catastrophe, catastrophe!’
Unassured as to what was going on and why everyone had crowded round a small fuzzy television screen, I quickly realised what all the fuss was about.
Jean Van de Velde, a journeyman pro on the European Tour, needed a double bogey on the final hole to become the first Frenchman to win the Open since 1907.
Compounding bad shots with bad decisions, Van de Velde found the rough, sand, water and even the grandstands en route to a triple-bogey seven.
Who will ever forget the moment he tried to hack the ball out of the rough and into Barry Burn before creating that infamous image that summed up his meltdown. Shoes and socks off to some of the biggest roars of the day, Van de Velde stood in the H20 with hands on hips, posing for the paparazzi.
Realising he was on the verge of frostbite, he thought better of it and dropped the ball behind the burn before scooping the ball up short into the bunker and then onto the green for a triple-bogey seven.
The meltdown was then made complete when losing the three-man playoff to Paul Lawrie, who had started day ten shots behind.
Click here to relive footage of that magic moment. Or not, if you backed him at 300/1 at the start of the week.
For the next meltdown, we're off to South Africa...
