Joy for Remesy, but more pain for Van de Velde

THERE was joy and pain for the home crowd at the French Open as Jean van de Velde revisited the trauma of his 1999 British Open nightmare to allow defending champion Jean-Francois Remesy to retain his title in a play-off.

Memories of van de Velde taking off his shoes and socks and rolling up his trousers after going into the Barry Burn on the 18th at Carnoustie came flooding back after he pulled his drive into the lake at the last at Le Golf National. Back in 1999 the Frenchman took a seven when he needed a six to win, went into a four-hole play-off and lost to Paul Lawrie.

This time he took a penalty drop and made a bogey five which saw Remesy’s par draw him level on 11 under and force a play-off back down the 18th. Both players found water with their approaches - van de Velde flying the back-left of the green with Remesy coming up short - but Remesy turned up the pressure by hitting his fourth shot to 12 feet.