Ireland and Great Britain won the greensomes session 3 1/2 to 1/2 to regain the upper hand against Continental Europe at the Vivendi Seve Trophy this morning.

CONTINENTAL Europe captain Jean van de Velde praised his team as they fought back to trail Great Britain and Ireland by a single point after the second day of the Vivendi Seve Trophy at St-Nom-La-Breteche.

Continental Europe captain Jean van de Velde praised his team as they fought back to trail Great Britain and Ireland by a single point after the second day of the Vivendi Seve Trophy at St-Nom-La-Breteche.

Holders Britain and Ireland have been hit much harder by withdrawals than Continental Europe for next week’s Vivendi Seve Trophy in Paris.

Paul McGinley has a chance to further his claims to the Ryder Cup captaincy in 2014 after being put in charge of the Great Britain and Ireland team again for the Vivendi Seve Trophy in Paris on September 15-18.

Jean Van de Velde, playing just his second European Tour event of the year, shared the early lead after an opening five under par 66 in the Alstom French Open at Le Golf National near Paris today.

Scotland’s Lloyd and Elliot Saltman today became the first brothers to qualify for The Open since Seve and Manuel Ballesteros 26 years ago – both of them by the skin of their teeth.

Jean Van de Velde is still looking for a place in The Open with less than two weeks to go – but he has the chance to not leave it quite so late as last year.

Jean Van de Velde is quitting full-time golf and will only play a handful of events on the European Tour next season.

Calmer conditions greeted the early starters in the second round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale today.

Philip Walton, Europe’s Ryder Cup match-winning hero in 1995, and 1999 runner-up Jean Van de Velde are among 12 players to have come through the 36-hole final qualifying for next week’s Open Championship.

Jean Van de Velde kept alive his hopes of returning to the Open Championship with a two-under-par 70 in final qualifying at Hillside today – and was then promised protection for the second round.

A week that began badly for Thomas Bjorn ended no better today when he withdrew from the final round of the European Open at The London Club.

JEAN VAN DE VELDE has waited a long time for this week — the week when drug-testing become part and parcel of life on the European Tour.

Jean Van de Velde has waited a long time for this week – the week when drug-testing become part and parcel of life on the European Tour.

Jean Van de Velde became the latest member of the Rory McIlroy fan club after moving into contention for a third European Tour title in the Madrid Open.

Eight years after Jean Van de Velde blew the Open with a closing triple-bogey seven, another Frenchman took eight on the same hole today.

First, first, second, second. For most that is the stuff of dreams but for Tiger Woods it represents under-achievement.

Angel Cabrera is golf’s newest major champion – yet he could have easily have won the last Open at Carnoustie eight years ago.

Former Open champion Justin Leonard has tried to forget most of what happened on his last visit to Carnoustie but he will try to use it as a motivating factor this week.

France’s new Scottish Open champion Gregory Havret will finally play his first major championship this week – on the same Carnoustie course where compatriot Jean Van de Velde blew a three-shot lead on the final hole in 1999.

Jean Van de Velde will not be returning to the scene of his British Open Championship heartbreak in two weeks’ time.

Ryder Cup heroes Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley both failed to make it through US Open qualifying at Walton Heath in Surrey today.

Darren Clarke left himself a mountain to climb after three-putting the last three greens for a disappointing 75 in the first round of the US Open 36-hole qualifier at Walton Heath in Surrey today.

Darren Clarke and Jean Van de Velde will be playing partners for the 36-hole US Open qualifying event at Walton Heath in Surrey on Monday.

Ten weeks to go to the Open and it looks like Carnoustie will not be quite so nasty as it was in 1999.

The rise and rise of David Howell continued today when he stayed on course to become the first English winner of the BMW Championship at Wentworth since Nick Faldo in 1989.

Two days short of his 40th birthday Jean Van de Velde took another step back up the golfing ladder with a superb six-under-par 66 at Wentworth today.

Jean Van de Velde, back as a winner on the European Tour this year, burst through the field on the third day of the BMW Championship at Wentworth.

Colin Montgomerie was left to rue a last-hole blunder in the first round of the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai.

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson returned to the fore after a series of tournament disappointments by setting the early pace in the BMW Asian Open.

JEAN Van de Velde savoured a rare victory on the European Tour by winning the Madeira Island Open yesterday.

Jean Van de Velde savoured a rare victory on the European Tour by winning the Madeira Island Open.

Jean Van de Velde raced into a three-shot lead in the Madeira Island Open after a confident start in the third round.

Jean Van de Velde made light of his knee problems at the hilltop Santo de Serra course to move into contention for the Madeira Island Open.

Phillip Price showed glimpses of his best form in the first round of the Madeira Island Open.

THOMAS BJORN believes it will be a case of “money talks” when it comes to the issue of women playing in European Tour events.

Thomas Bjorn believes it will be a case of “money talks” when it comes to the issue of women playing in European Tour events.

HERE IS a prediction for 2006 — you will not see Jean Van de Velde, or any other man, compete in the Women’s British Open.

European tour executive director George O’Grady said today the circuit was “not totally against ladies playing by invitation”.

Anybody who thinks Jean van de Velde is joking about wanting to play in the Women’s British Open should have been at Valderrama when he spoke yesterday - he meant every word he said.

NOW that women are allowed to enter the British Open championship Jean van de Velde wants to enter the Women’s British Open — and he intends to write off for an application form.