MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / July 21, 1999

When is a lead in golf insurmountable? When the final putt rests in the cup.

Anybody who doubts that just has to ask Jean Van de Velde after his final round at the British Open Sunday. With a three-shot lead on the final hole,Van de Velde appeared he would waltz to a history-making win. He wouldmake history all right, just for a reason he will never forget – a triple bogey seven that cost him the lead and eventually the championship in a four-hole playoff against Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard.

As the day began, it appeared the Open would indeed be a three-man race but between Van de Velde, Leonard and Craig Parry. Van de Velde, the firstFrenchman to lead the Open in 25 years, took a five-stroke advantage over Leonard and Parry into the final 18.

First, it was Parry then Leonard making a charge, both catching Van de Velde. Parry would overtake Van de Velde on the 11th hole before doublebogeying the 12th and bogeying the 13th to fall two strokes back.

Leonard passed Parry and tied Van de Velde before falling back by two on the 15th. Van de Velde’s lead grew to three as Leonard had to scramble fora bogey after hitting his second shot into the Barry Burn, the creek fronting the 18th green.

Then came a scene that seemed to come right out of “Tin Cup.” Van deVelde caught a break when his drive bounced over the Burn on the right side of the fairway.

But the golf gods giveth and they taketh away. He gambled with an iron(where was his caddy through all this?) and bounced his second shot off the grandstands on the right side of the green, back over the creek and into the tall rough.

Van de Velde’s third shot found the Burn and after first considering hitting it out then deciding to take a drop, Van de Velde pitched into the bunker fronting the green. A wedge to the green and a putt later, Van deVelde completed one of the great collapses in major history. (It’sappropriate that he is the head golf pro at the Disneyland course in France because he sure played that last hole Goofy.)It would be a day of missed chances all around. On the 17th hole, Parrymissed his putt for par and then had his tap in for bogey slide past the hole to put him five strokes back. So when he blasted out of the sand for abirdie on the 18th, he fell one stroke out of the playoff. What could havebeen.

So where was Lawrie through all this? At the practice range after completing a round of four-under par 67 almost two hours earlier. If youhad to pick one person who you thought could win the title before the day started, Lawrie probably would have been low on your list. After all, hedid start the day 10 strokes back of the leader. What chance do you thinkhe was thinking he had after he putted out to finish six-over? But you have to hand it to the Scotsman. Even after the long delay, he wasprepared for the playoff. After tying Leonard on the first two playoffholes, he birdied the 17th to take the lead. Lawrie then gambled with hissecond shot on the 18th and had it pay off beautifully, landing the shot to within three feet.

And when that putt finally found the bottom of the cup, Lawrie had made history of his own, becoming the first Scotsman to win the title in Scotland since Tommy Armour (who, ironically, also did it at Carnoustie) in 1931. The 10-stroke deficit was also the largest margin overcome inthe history of the majors.

What made the victory even more compelling is that it came on what is considered by many the hardest course in the world, Carnoustie. Not onlydid the golfers have to contend with Barry Burn, they had to deal with rough that was waist deep. The rough reminded me of the grass on someof the local neutral grounds. And then there were the fairways thatnarrowed right where players would normally lay up. Are you sure theUSGA wasn’t involved in this? All day, the announcers on ABC talked about Tiger Woods making a charge.

That charge never came as Woods went 34 holes at one point without a birdie. Woods may be the best player right now and has had a string of highfinishes in the majors but lately he has been unable to seal the deal.

Lawrie did. And while he may not ever be on the cover of a Wheaties box,he can make a claim that the majority of the players on the Tour cannot – his name is on the claret jug as a British Open champion.

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