Van Der Velde's putter

[shivas irons]

I was up in Scotland watching the Alfred Dunhill recently and went to Carnoustie on the Sunday when they were packing the event up as the last day is only played at St Andrews.The course was empty as I stood in the car park just off the 18th.I watched Jean Van Der Velde's Open collapse in 99 on youtube on my phone whilst looking at the hole.
Looking where he hit each shot on the course it defies belief how he managed to mess up so much to throw the Open but of course he still had to win it and thats what pressure does for you.I know if's and buts but its clear to see that Van Der Velde wanted to win the Open with a par,you can see his caddy is telling him to play short of the burn thats in front of the green for his second shot but as is Open history we know the catastrophe that happened after his second shot that lost him the Open and a place in golf history.In the pro shop at Carnoustie they have got the actual putter on the wall that Jean used during the 99 Open,the pro in the shop told me that he gave it to them before he left the course he also said that Van Der Velde was there at the course just this year 17 years after the event playing in the British Seniors Open and he was in the pro shop looking at the putter.I bet that brought back some memories for him of what if but according to the pro in the shop Van Der Velde in very accepting of what happened all those years ago.The pro summed it up saying all people talk about is Van Der Velde's loss they never mention Lawrie's win which I think is very true.It was nice to see that Never Compromise putter on the wall though,only if it could speak .

 

[MashieNiblick]

It was nice to see that Never Compromise putter on the wall though,only if it could speak .

How appropriate. That summed up his approach that day.

Maybe a pity though that there wasn't a "Safety First" brand.

 

[Albanach]

Great interview with Lawrie on the Scottish Golf Radio podcast a few weeks ago. Well worth a listen.

 

[freddielong]

How appropriate. That summed up his approach that day.

Maybe a pity though that there wasn't a "Safety First" brand.

It does seem like that but when you hear him describe the shots he played it kind of made sense, there was a massive slice of bad luck involved.

When he talks about the second shot he says on the angle he had it was vritually impossible to hit the fair way and stop it on the fairway, the shot he took on in his head got him over the burn and if it went right on him would have finished in the grand stand so free drop from a drop zone the he had practiced from but as we know it hit the grandstand bounced back hit the edge of the burn and finished in the long rough and as they say the rest is history

 

[shivas irons]

It does seem like that but when you hear him describe the shots he played it kind of made sense, there was a massive slice of bad luck involved.

When he talks about the second shot he says on the angle he had it was vritually impossible to hit the fair way and stop it on the fairway

Cant understand this as he had a second shot of around 185 yards into a wider area of fairway before the burn thats in front of the green but agree he was very unlucky to get the bounce back off the grandstand.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

His putt on 18 to get into a play off was brilliant under such amazing pressure. Considering the mess his head must have been in it showed real character.

I feel for both golfers. Van Der velde for throwing it away, Lawrie because he never gets the credit he deserves.

 

[freddielong]

Cant understand this as he had a second shot of around 185 yards into a wider area of fairway before the burn thats in front of the green but agree he was very unlucky to get the bounce back off the grandstand.

I am not sure as I haven't played it but he was out right and the fairways were very narrow and rock hard that year.

 

[shivas irons]

I am not sure as I haven't played it but he was out right and the fairways were very narrow and rock hard that year.

It was raining on the final day he could have held it on the fairway but as Lawrie said golfers do strange things when their brains get scrambled

 

[shivas irons]

He would have won it if he had used his putter
http://www.golfchannel.com/media/grill-room-how-find-humor-collapse/