Who won the British Open at Carnoustie the year ('99) Jean Van de Velde put on an epic display of spitting-the-bit? That's what I thought. But every golf fan remembers what Van de Velde did. Watching his horrifying meltdown on the 72nd hole of the Open was the most surreal experience I've had as a sports fan. The official engraver already had Van de Velde's name etched on the Claret Jug,
ferchrissake.
But I also remember the extremely clutch up-and-down he made from the sand to get into the four hole playoff at the end of that horrifying 18th hole. It's not discussed very often by golf fans, but Van de Velde's ability to compose himself and focus on getting that ball into the hole in two shots from the sand trap knowing he had just pissed away the British Open was nothing short of amazing.
So here's to you, crazy fvcking Frenchman. You will be missed this week.
