The Jean Van de Velde collapse
Jean Van de Velde is known for perhaps the most spectacular collapse in golf history at the British Open in 1999. With a 3-stroke lead heading into the 18th hole at Carnoustie, Van de Velde needed only a 6 on the par-4 to secure the title. Sounds easy, huh? The bonehead takes out his driver and loses his ball way right, but fortunately it stays dry. Instead of laying up, Van de Velde went for the green, hitting another atrocious shot way right, still in the deep stuff. Van de Velde’s next shot found water in the Barry Burn, and he almost tried to hit it out before taking a drop. Dumb. The next shot went in the greenside bunker, where Van de Velde managed to get up and down for 7. That resulted in a playoff, which he then lost to Paul Lawrie. Next time, play it smart!
