Jean Van de Velde to qualify for 2006 British Open

No. Not that British Open. The other British Open. The women's british open.

His meltdown on the 72nd hole at Carnoustie is still tops on my list of most amusing sports moments in history. :laugh:




http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=2205481

Van de Velde wants to play in Women's British
Associated Press

SOTOGRANDE, Spain -- French golfer Jean Van de Velde will attempt to enter next year's Women's British Open because he is upset women may qualify for the 2006 British Open.

"I'll even wear a kilt and shave my legs," said Van de Velde, who six years ago botched a chance for a British Open title in one of the great collapses in a major.

Van de Velde made a famous triple-bogey on the final hole at Carnoustie in 1999 to lose the British Open.

Recent policy set by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club will allow women to qualify for next year's British Open.

"My whole point is where do we draw the line?" Van de Velde asked after shooting a 7-over-par 78 Thursday in the first round of the Volvo Masters. "If we accept that women can enter our tournaments, then it applies that men can play with women."

The 39-year-old Frenchman said he would get an application and attempt to qualify. Next year's Women's British Open is Aug. 3-6 at Royal Lytham.

The event is run by the Ladies' Golf Union, which established a gender policy this year that says: "It shall be a condition of any competition organized by the Ladies' Golf Union that players must be of the female gender."

Andy Salmon, chief executive officer of the LGU, said Thursday there was no plan to change the rule.

The LGU this season established a formal gender policy sanctioning players who had sex-change operations to become females. The best known example was Danish-born Australian Mianne Bagger, who played some LGU events in 2005.

"I just don't understand it, and if my application is not accepted I will definitely get advice and see how far it will go," Van de Velde said. "I am making a point. I'm not trying to take a sexist stance."

"I think there are much more important matters," he added. "I think our governing body should concentrate on the long putter, checking clubs. Things like that, not this."

Former Ryder Cup player Barry Lane suggested a change in the rules could end women's golf.

"Do they want 100 men trying to qualify?" he asked. "If they do there won't be any spots left for them."

At the 1999 British Open, Van de Velde led by three strokes going to the 72nd hole, then wound up losing the tournament in a playoff.

it'll be even funnier watching him melt down around the women...

although i do think it might have been the funniest thing i've ever seen when he had a TV crew follow him onto the 18th at Carnoustie to see if he could shoot a 7 or less with just his putter. he parred the hole on his third try if memory serves.

Gee, Jean... I guess the fame you briefly "enjoyed" for your BIG time choke is waning. So is that why you have decided to make this statement? Of course when you seem to be shooting 7-over in a round... perhaps you need to go back to playing High School golf. Give it a rest. The women have to qulaify for the British Open. There is no reason IMO why they should not be allowed to get top dollar too. If a woman is better than a guy, then why shouldn't she be there instead of him?

Any male golfer who looks down on a woman trying to play on the men's tour is nothing but a loser, IMO.

I have nothing but respect for Anika and Michelle for wanting to test their game on the highest level available.

Jean, you cheese eating surrender monkey, shut your pie hole and slink back into oblivion.

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Originally Posted by RFS62

Any male golfer who looks down on a woman trying to play on the men's tour is nothing but a loser, IMO.

I have nothing but respect for Anika and Michelle for wanting to test their game on the highest level available.

Jean, you cheese eating surrender monkey, shut your pie hole and slink back into oblivion.

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:beerme:

I totally agree with female players like Anika and Michelle trying to put their skills up against male competition. They are better overall than most or all female players, you always have to try to get better.

My question is, why can't a male try to play on the female tour if females are allowed the male tour? I would never want to personally, but that isn't the point.

It is somewhat similar to all black college and universities. I am not a racist person in anyway, but why is it that African Americans can have schools for only their races, but if a group of whites did it all hell would break lose? I am aware that whites do attend black only colleges, but even if in the hypothetical white only university they allowed a few African Americans as well, all hell would still break lose. It just don't understand I guess.

If women can play the male tour, then if a man wants to try and qualify for a female tour then they should be allowed.

Why stop there?

Let's let Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson spend their offseason playing in the WNBA.

Let's see how the Williams sisters would fare in singles matches versus Roger Federer and Andy Roddick.

The question is, will anyone want to watch? :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Unassisted

Why stop there?

Let's let Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson spend their offseason playing in the WNBA.

Let's see how the Williams sisters would fare in singles matches versus Roger Federer and Andy Roddick.

The question is, will anyone want to watch? :rolleyes:

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I wouldn't mind having a doubles match with Serena and Venus in the privacy of my home. ;)

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Originally Posted by Buckeye33

I totally agree with female players like Anika and Michelle trying to put their skills up against male competition. They are better overall than most or all female players, you always have to try to get better.

My question is, why can't a male try to play on the female tour if females are allowed the male tour? I would never want to personally, but that isn't the point.

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Very simple.

The women trying to compete on the men's tour are attempting to test their game against the best players in the world, a very noble goal.

The men who cry foul and whine about turn about is fair play are doing nothing of the sort. They're engaging in a childish and totally gutless attempt to marginalize the courage of a woman who is willing to take a beating just to get a chance to compete with the best in her profession.

I have no use for any golfer who would sink this low or be stupid enough to think they have a valid point. It's about the competition, not some ridiculous misogynistic publicity stunt by a washed up never-was crybaby loser trying for another 15 minutes of fame, or in his case, another 15 minutes of infamy.

Not directed at you, btw, Buckeye

I was talking to my dad about this (he's also an avid golfer).

His thought it was just Van de Velde finding a way to outdo his meltdown at Carnoustie. He'd rather be known for this than wading in the burn contemplating hitting his ball out of the water.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/142000...develde300.jpg

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Originally Posted by paintmered

I was talking to my dad about this (he's also an avid golfer).

His thought it was just Van de Velde finding a way to outdo his meltdown at Carnoustie. He'd rather be known for this than wading in the burn contemplating hitting his ball out of the water.

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It's a plausible theory. I certainly wouldn't be able to name the second most famous thing that Bobby Riggs ever did.

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Originally Posted by paintmered

I was talking to my dad about this (he's also an avid golfer).

His thought it was just Van de Velde finding a way to outdo his meltdown at Carnoustie. He'd rather be known for this than wading in the burn contemplating hitting his ball out of the water.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/142000...develde300.jpg

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If that's true, he's even dumber than I thought.

NOTHING could ever erase the legacy of his collapse at Carnoustie. That was the mother of all mental meltdowns in the history of golf.

All this move proves is that he's a chauvinist imbecile in addition to a historic choke artist.

And....................he's French.;)

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Originally Posted by paintmered

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/142000...develde300.jpg

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oh how i wish his ball hadn't fell off the rock...just to see if he'd end up shooting worse than a 10....