Van de Velde holds on at Madeira Island Open
IN: News | European PGA | Madeira Island Open (2006) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 27 Mar 2006
Jean Van de Velde's victory at the Madeira Island Open yesterday put to bed many of the demons that have plagued him since that horror day at Carnoustie in 1999 where a triple bogey at the final hole cost him what would have been a life changing victory at the Open Championship. For a brief moment today it appeared as if it might be a case of Carnoustie revisited.
Van de Velde has not won on the European Tour since his victory at the Roma Masters in a playoff over Greg Turner in 1993. "It's been a long, long time and a hell of a ride as well", he told European Tour radio. "It's long overdue."
The four shot lead Van de Velde took into the last hole was reduced to three when the Lee Slattery, who was playing in the group ahead, birdied the last and with Van de Velde in the fairway his lead was now three. "I mis-clubbed at the last and hit it in the worst place on the golf course," he would say after his round. The resultant double bogey reduced the margin to just one but it seemed of little concern to the Frenchman as he now gains his place on the European Tour for at least two further years.
Van de Velde had returned to the European Tour in 2005 after knee surgery in 2002 and its subsequent complications had threatened to end his career. When he was finally fit in 2005 there were sufficient good finishes for him to finish 43rd on the money list but there had been little to suggest to date in 2006 that this year was going to be a lot better. This was the sort of tournament that often offers such players the chance to shine while the leading European players were battling the torturous TPC at Sawgrass and Van de Velde was about to take full advantage of their absence.
Van de Velde had eight birdies in his first fourteen holes today after opening the round with a two shot lead over Spaniard Pedro Linhart and by the time he stood on the last tee he was four ahead of Slattery and Linhart. A bogey at the 15th and the double at the last were perhaps understandable given what he had been through in recent years in search of a return to the form he displayed earlier in his career.
Slattery had started the tournament slowly with a first round 74 and started the final round slowly when he bogeyed two of the first five holes. At that stage he was seven behind Van de Velde and his chances of a high finish appeared gone but he would birdie eight of the final twelve holes to all but catch the winner.
Slattery has battled illness earlier in his career but like Van de Velde when fully fit in 2004 he led the European Challenge Tour that year to gain access to the European Tour in 2005. Things were not so good in 2005 eventually finishing 144th and so therefore gained a start here despite his lowly status on the European Tour. Like Van de Velde, he took full advantage of the opportunity when it presented itself and the €77,000 is a welcome addition for the man who has relied on the support of his parents in the dark moments of his career to date.
Spain's Pedro Linhart is one who could be considered a battler on the European Tour and who has often gone between both the European and Challenge Tours in search for the break that he is after. Although born on the Canary Islands, the forty three year old Linhart has American parentage. He won this event in 1999 and thus gained a place in the field here with this being his first start on the European Tour in 2006.
Only two Australasians played the event with both Mathew Millar and Stephen Scahill missing the cut.
The European Tour now heads east to the south of Portugal for the Algarve Open de Portugal.
