Van de Velde favourite

JEAN VAN DE VELDE celebrates 20 years as a professional this season and this week he finally gets the chance to defend a European Tour title.

In the absence of most of the circuit’s big names, away in Florida at the CA World Championship, the 40-year-old Frenchman is one of the favourites for the Madeira Islands Open.

Van de Velde’s first full Tour win came back in 1993 at the Rome Masters, but the event was never staged again.

He should, of course, have been the defending champion in the 2000 British Open at St Andrews, but 12 months earlier at Carnoustie came that never-to-be-forgotten closing triple bogey and subsequent play-off loss to Paul Lawrie – his playing partner for the first two rounds this week.

Van de Velde’s entire career was then in danger following a skiing injury but, after two knee operations and the loss of his tour card, he ended 13 years without a win at Santo da Serra 12 months ago.

It was not achieved without drama. Four clear with one hole to play he stumbled again but limited the damage this time to a double-bogey six and ended up a relieved one-stroke winner over England’s Lee Slattery.

Van de Velde had the chance to win again in Singapore on his last start two weeks ago, but bogeyed the last two holes to finish two strokes behind.