Who's who: Jean Van de Velde

  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
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  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Terras da Comporta, Dunas
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  • Marco Simone GC (Italy); host of the Ryder Cup 2023
  • Pebble Beach host of the US Open; US Women's Open; Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  • Marco Simone GC

Who's who: Jean Van de Velde

  • Name:

    Jean Van de Velde
  • Country:

    France
  • Born:

    May 29, 1966 in Mont-de-Marsan, Aquitaine, France.
  • Original/Home Club:

    Mont de Marsan GC, Saint-Avit.
  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer; television commentator; UNICEF ambassador.
  • Turned Pro:

    1987 (+2 hcp)

Roll of Honour

Ryder Cup player (1999). French Youths champion (1985, '86); French Amateur champion (1986). European Tour wins (2).

Did you know?

Van de Velde enjoyed an excellent amateur career, twice winning the French Youths title (1985, '86) and the French Amateur Championship (1986). He turned professional in 1987 and joined the European Tour for his rookie season in 1989. His first win came in 1993.

The defining moments in his career came in the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie. Needing no worse than a double-bogey six to seal victory at the final hole, the would-be French victor imploded with some serious course management errors. He took seven. Compounding mistake upon mistake, he hit a wayward driver, then clattered into a spectator grandstand going for the green in two. His third was hacked into the Barry Burn from deep rough. After a bare foot paddle in the Burn, he reluctantly took a penalty drop (four), hit the ball into a greenside bunker (five) and finished with a sand save from the bunker (six & seven). He subsequently lost out to Scotland's Paul Lawrie in a three-way playoff that also included Justin Leonard (USA). It should be said that Van de Velde heroically took the defeat on the chin, and cheerily moved on.

Top tournaments won by Jean Van de Velde

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Van de Velde, Jean

Score

273 (-15)

Prize money

€116,660

Title sponsor

CGD

Played as the Madeira Island Open Caixa Geral de Depositos (March 23-26). Second-placed Lee Slattery (Eng) finished 1 shot behind Van de Velde (Fra), who recorded his first European Tour win since the Roma Masters in 1993. [Santo da Serra GC, Machico, Madeira].

1993
Europe
281 (-7)
£50,000
x

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Van de Velde, Jean

Score

281 (-7)

Prize money

£50,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Roma Masters (April 15-18). First-time European Tour winner Van de Velde (Fra) beat Greg Turner (NZ) with a par at the third playoff hole. [Castelgandolfo CC, nr Rome, Italy].

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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