Jean Van de Velde returns to Carnoustie to relive one of the most famous moments in Open history. -- Keep in touch with us! Facebook - / the-open-championship Twitter - / theopen Instagram - / theopen
Jean Van de Velde has had to live this for the last 19 years, and he's done it with tremendous class. If you've played golf, you've likely had a hole like that...just not in front of the world. I have so much respect for him.
Have to respect his outlook. Many, many men would have folded and withered away for the rest of their lives. He's clearly a man with the mental fortitude to realize that there are bigger things in this life than a game. Tremendous respect for him to put into perspective what happened.
He may be a "choke artist" but he's way more of a champion of a human being. Didn't cry about it and after hearing him talk for even thirty seconds, I find myself wishing he'd have that trophy. I remember it was the same time as Payne Stewart's crash and I remember Van De Velde saying "don't feel sorry for me...I'm doing what I love and have a lovely family", or something to that effect. True class.
First time I've watched this since watching it in 99 for some reason. One of the saddest things I've seen in sport but Jean is such a nice humble guy and has a fantastic perspective on it. Well done, Monsieur!
What a wonderful attitude. Jean comes over as a lovely guy and we can all learn a great deal from his humanity. We wouldn’t be watching this video and being inspired by his spirit if things had gone well for him on that day. Your loss Jean but our gain. Thank you.
I played Carnoustie in 2005, I was 65 years old...birdied the first...that was nice then on the last a good drive and to my delight a 4 iron to the middle of the green...2 putts and I had scored 78...so happy
I played the course 2 years ago and went to the spot where he hit his 2nd. He had so much room to just lay up. I didn't understand it lol. oh well. legend.
But his third shot made him immortal. His collapse has significantly contributed to the legends of golf. We’ve all been there and appreciate to see that our heroes can be just like us.
Agree, the second shot was surely the biggest mistake. Could have laid up with a wedge and hit another wedge on, 3 putt double bogey wins it. ‘Fearlessness’ got him to the 18th with a 3 shot lead in The Open, but a bit of course management would have seen him home. Que sera
The ONLY thing that cost him that day was the unluckiest bounce in history. His drive was wide, but safe enough, and his iron was also wide, but should have been safe enough. Normally, a ball struck into the stands would have given a free drop in a straightforward dropping zone and a relatively easy chip to the green. For his ball to cannon back way over the burn was just unbelievable and I don't ever recall seeing such an unlucky bounce in the 50 years I've been watching golf. Given the position he found himself in after that bounce, I bet the vast majority would suffer a similar fate, even without the pressure.
Why was his drive was 'completely stupid'? It was slightly risky, but if he felt confident then worth it and he was still in a decent lie. Why was his iron to the green 'completely stupid'? It was fairly straightforward and the safe 'bail-out' was always to the right. 99.99% of all shots missed on that side would have lead to a free drop in a decent enough place. As to the others, being in 2 feet deep thick rough after the rebound left an almost impossible position. The normal shot to play is hit it as hard as possible to make sure you get out, but on the 18th at Carnoustie the O.B. is just over the back, so any contact slightly too good would have put him there. He had to try to hit it precisely, which just couldn't be done. It was almost the same after the drop from the burn, hence he finished in the bunker. But it all stemmed from the unluckiest bounce in Open history, from the stand to the wrong side of the burn.
Because the only way he blows the tournament off the tee shot is with a driver. He hit driver. The only way he blows the tournament on his second shot is if he goes for the green. He went for the green. Not only was every shot stupid up to the bunker, but they may very well be the dumbest shots ever hit in the history of the game.
He should have challenged the R&A for a free drop greenside after the second shot went into the stands and bounced back. Never knew a spectator accomodation could cost him The Open.
If he'd scored a 6 he would probably have been easily forgotten (a la Ben Curtis and Todd Hamilton) or just written off as a lucky champion who won on an unfairly laid out course. When you hear his account you realise that the decisions he made were not completely bizarre and he did have the most amazing slice of bad luck on his second shot - if he'd gone into the stands he'd have had a free drop but his ball bounced backwards into very deep rough.
Jean was playing probably the toughest finishing hole in major golf with no experience of being in that position (Padraig Harrington, a much more established winner on tour, went in the burn twice on 18th in 2007 and would have lost, had Sergio not missed a short putt to win). He'd being playing superb golf for most of the previous 71 holes so was in a rhythm. Regarding his second shot he'd been hitting his 2 iron really well previously and had birdied the 18th on the previous 2 rounds, so playing too conservatively could have backfired on him. Listening to him, he did have some justification for his decisions on that hole but admitted that the decision for his 3rd shot was probably a poor one.
The attitude he seemed to show on that hole in 99’ was one of gusto, arrogance and stubbornness. He very clearly has matured a ton since then. Seems like an extremely likable guy who has a lot of humility. A+ perspective here - good on you Jean.
i watched the 18th hole the other day and the 2 hour video that was the play off straight after, ... the whole time hoping jean would win (i didnt know the outcome as ive only just gottten into golf) god damn i wish he won even more after this, seems like a real good bloke
To lose the Open in such circumstances would make even the sternest person feel bitter. Credit to Jean for being so professional and humble about the whole thing, many people could take a leaf out of his book. What a man, respect
Jean is complete gentleman of the game. He always puts a brave face on every time he talks about this...even when he's joking about it. Deep down this guy must think of this moment every single day. He will until the day he dies.
Love this man for his perspective on that day. He threw it away, but did it in style and more power to him, but if I have one comment, the caddie should have taken control forcably and guided his man to at least a playoff, JVV, in that position was clearly struggling with the enormity of what was happening, he really needed a hand on his shoulder.
There was a playoff. He had to get up and down from the bunker for a treble and a playoff, which he did. He then lost in the playoff to Lawrie (I believe there was another person in the playoff but I cannot remember at the moment).
I don't understand the logic with "I could miss the fairway with an iron as well but with the driver I would be 60 yards closer to the hole". Well, you would also be like 30 yards more off the fairway if you miss the shot.
I was eleven when this happened. Never been a huge golf person, but this was the moment I realized the impossible can sometimes happen in sports. Jean always became the face of that reality for me. I guess you'd say he was the first athlete I ever saw "choke" before I knew what that was in sports. For better or worse, I associate him with having victory in your grasp and for whatever reason letting it slip away.
its sad that Jean will forever be known for the 18th hole in the open history, but respect the men even see the funny side when Parry hold from the sand
"Choking" is when a man runs out on his family or blames the world for his problems. There are plenty of professional athletes who made mistakes at the worst moments to cost them from being a champion (eg. Buckner, Webber). It sounds like Jean did not let that moment define his life to follow. Nothing but respect for him.
Pure class 👏 Hard 2 lose like that.. I was on the 18th hole one time, par 4, needed a bogey to break 80 for my 1st time ever. I tripled. Never reached the 70s yet 😭
Nobody will ever forget what happened on that 18th hole. It brought back the saying its NOT OVER UNTIL ITS 🛑OVER🛑. More than anything ive ever seen. You cannot imagine someone goes to the 18 hole with a 3 shot lead. And ends up losing a play off to a player who was 10 strokes behind when the 4th round began...
Jean, you have been nothing but gracias and shown your great character since tha fatefull day. Watching live, I felt your pain Sir, and let us remember John F Kennedy Jr. who passed away that very same weekend. Thank you Jean
"Don't Pull a Van de Velde." Is what I always say when a player has a big lead going to the 72nd. I want to know what he said after he threw the ball back into/toward the burn.
I often wonder which pill would be harder to swallow. Jean's 72nd hole at Carnoustie or Doug Sanders 72nd hole at St. Andrews in 1970.where he missed a 2 foot putt to win. Both made it into a playoff, both lost and had the rest of their lives to think about it. When asked how often he thinks about that putt, Doug "joked" and said "every 5 minutes". I sure hope he was joking but deep down inside It ate away at him imo. RIP Doug.
at the end of the day it's just a game, he's a winner as a human being, idc how corny that sounds....nobody deserves that much embarrassment in front of millions
It was so sad when he sent it into the water. You never want to see a capitulation like that. But at least he can laugh at himself. You're a good man, Jean.
I don’t fault him for hitting driver off the tee, his rationale was reasonable. His biggest mistake was not laying up on his second shot. I still don’t understand how you don’t take an 8 or 9 iron and just put it back into the 18th fairway. That would leave him maybe 100 yards out, laying two. You’re looking at par, or bogey at worst. First rule of golf, when you’re in trouble, get out of trouble.
He wasn't in trouble though after his drive. Sure was technically on the other hole but he had a very clean lie and wide open look at the green. Hitting that post is a 1 in million shot. Plus you can't just say "hit it back to the fairway and then the green". Neither of those are guarantees. From 125y in the fairway, only 70% chance to hit the green, he could chip on and 3 putt. Is that likely? No of course not, but chances are higher that way I believe than hiring that post again.
Took , as the French say “ Balls of Steel “ ! To make that putt on the 72nd hole to make the playoff ! To quote “ Tin Cup “ .. “ You sure did. It was the greatest 12 of all time. No one's going to remember the Open 10 years from now, who won...but they'll remember your 12! My, God, Roy, it was...Well, it's immortal! I am so proud of you! “
He says his mistake was the 3rd shot, but the real mistake was his second shot. He should’ve layed up so he could hit a full Pitching Wedge to the green. Played like a champion until the last hole.
Well but wedge onto green is not a given. PGAT green hit % from say 125 is only about 70%. So if he misses it and gets a tough lie and can't get it close a 3 putt makes triple. Sure, not likely, but more likely than hitting a 2" piece of pipe and kicking backwards. Honestly I would love to see a syringes gained breakdown, or have a computer simulation play it out 10,000 times. Hey if I'm wrong so be it but if it turns out he was statistically right then the whole folding world powers him an apology for all the beat down he's taken over the years!
@@MJSchaefer16 I’m sure if they played a simulation, laying up would win him the open at least 90% of the time. Would you rather be in the green side bunker on your 3rd shot, or where Jean was on his 3rd? It’s not even a question. I blame his caddie for suggesting the 2 iron and never suggesting to lay up to a full wedge distance.
@@bretts4544extremely unlikely for his 2nd shot to ever happen again that way. To clear the water hit a post and then kick back. Play it 10,000x that would never happen again.
I wonder if his life have really been much different if he'd had won? Like that movie when the guy goes back in time to hit the winning homer in a little league game he becomes CEO marries a different woman. etc.
That was the only Super Bowl that I’ve watched in decades. I still think there’s a chance that game was rigged/fixed/manipulated. Obviously I can’t prove this and no one would ever believe it. 😃
Great play throughout the competition by De Velde . However, He’s still rationalising his loss by saying he needed to get the fairway and near the green. He explains his choices as if he were only 1 shot ahead- look at how Woods won the 2019 Masters on the last hole - nothing stupid attempted. Great that Jean has a life most would dream of but he lost a lot that day .
I wonder why he didn’t have a caddie who was there to counsel him, someone who knew the course and know the history. Someone who could say, No. let’s crawl to the green.
His caddie was inexperienced. Rookie caddies aren't going to question club and shot selection of their golfer. Don't forget they get 7%. So their golfer is always going to get the final say in such matters.
An observation. Any of the days prior to the 1999 Open going back to 1975 when the Open was last played at Carnoustie or 24 years and van de Velde shoots at worst a "5" minus the stands being there only for The Open. He should have demanded a drop as the ball went into the stands by hitting the railing and he still, at worst, get his five and wins by two. I feel sorry for him. It destroyed him.
