I’m neither a golf fanatic nor an aficionado but one of the professional athletes featured on the Netflix documentary Losers is French professional golfer Jean Van de Velde. Van de Velde is one of eight professional athletes featured on the documentary and the last of my Losers series.
To say that Van de Velde was a heartbeat away from winning golf’s oldest major is an understatement. I’m not going to go into the technical aspects and specifics of how the Frenchman lost but according to ESPN Golf, “Leading by three strokes standing on the 18th tee at the 499-yard home hole, Van de Velde needed just a double-bogey six to claim the title and become the first player from France to win The Open since Arnaud Massy in 1907.
A comedy of errors ensued, with Van de Velde hitting a grandstand, knocking an approach in the Barry Burn, wading into the water to hit it before deciding against, and finally making a 6-footer for triple-bogey to join Lawrie and Justin Leonard in a four-hole playoff.”
There’s a saying that no lead is safe in sports whether amateur sports or professional sports, in my opinion, trying to get to the top is easier than trying to stay on it.
The CNN golf web site says, “Jean Van de Velde was one hole from winning golf’s famous Claret Jug at the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie in Scotland—only to go down in history as the victim of its biggest.
The 33-year-old journeyman led by three on the last tee. The prize was virtually his. Two or three smooth swings and a couple of putts—he could even afford a double-bogey six—would achieve his lifelong ambition and make him only the second Frenchman ever to win golf’s oldest major after Arnaud Massey in 1907.”
Despite the setback, Van de Velde still had a successful golf career as per ESPN golf, “He would play for Europe in the Ryder Cup later that year—playing just one match and losing to Davis Love III in singles six and five as the Americans rallied to victory. Van de Velde won twice on the European Tour, 13 years apart in 1993 and 2006.
At the 2005 Open de France, Van de Velde had a chance for a dramatic home victory. But he, again, found water on the 18th hole and lost to countryman Jean-Francois Remesy in a playoff.”
Despite the meltdown, Van de Velde saw the silver lining in an otherwise dark cloud, “It shook me, no doubt about it, “he told the Open.com
“The two or three days following ‘99 I was a bit distraught. Why? Because you play to win, you play to have the cup, I had it in my hands and it slipped away but at the end of the day you realize you’re one of the lucky guys to walk inside the ropes.
“If you’re lucky enough you make a very healthy living doing what you love. Not many people have that luxury. I always felt very privileged so I have no right to complain, at all.”
Van de Velde still kept busy after the debacle and meltdown in Carnoustie, doing charity work for Unicef.
“Van de Velde made that year’s European Ryder Cup team and ended his career with two European Tour wins, and two further playoff defeats in Europe and America.
He has been heavily involved in the Ryder Cup going to France for the first time in September, and in 2012 became an ambassador for Unicef, using golf to raise funds for initiatives mainly in poverty-stricken Madagascar.”
In some ways, Van de Velde found victory, redemption and resurrection in charity work using the sport to raise money for poor countries like Madagascar.