Feel worse for Van De Velde or Doug Sanders?

King_Slender brought up the idea of feeling worse and worse for Jean Van De Velde every time he sees the replay of the 99 British Open. To deviate slightly on that topic: Who do you feel worse for, Van De Velde or Doug Sanders? Sanders of course is know for missing that short putt to win the Open at St Andrews, eventually loosing to Jack in a playoff.

I'd say I feel worse for Sanders. Everyone rags on Van De Velde, but good or bad, you know his name and that story. No one remembers who actually won that tournament.

Van De Velde. Why? Sanders won 20 PGA tour events. He is remembered as a very successful player. He missed a putt, lost to Jack. So what, everyone lost to Jack. Van de Velde is remember for one thing, his brutal collapse. Bad decisions and bad executions. Dude, I wish he could have held on just a little better...

I would pick DOUG: he missed a 3 footer to win! Then had to face Nicklaus in a playoff !!

VV: had several chances at 18th hole to right the ship and muffed each!! Then he still made the playoff with 4 holes to acquit himself..

Van De Velde. Why? Sanders won 20 PGA tour events. He is remembered as a very successful player. He missed a putt, lost to Jack. So what, everyone lost to Jack. Van de Velde is remember for one thing, his brutal collapse. Bad decisions and bad executions. Dude, I wish he could have held on just a little better...

No one remembers Doug Sanders for anything but that missed putt and clothes he wore. Granted he did win 20 times, but that was 40 years ago. If you don't win a major, you're lost to time.

Van De Velde. Why? Sanders won 20 PGA tour events. He is remembered as a very successful player. He missed a putt, lost to Jack. So what, everyone lost to Jack. Van de Velde is remember for one thing, his brutal collapse. Bad decisions and bad executions. Dude, I wish he could have held on just a little better...

 

 

No one remembers Doug Sanders for anything but that missed putt and clothes he wore. Granted he did win 20 times, but that was 40 years ago. If you don't win a major, you're lost to time.

Also, Doug just seems like a really sweet guy based on what I've seen/heard of him.

He doesn't seem like someone I'd ever wish that kind of fate on.

Van De Velde. Why? Sanders won 20 PGA tour events. He is remembered as a very successful player. He missed a putt, lost to Jack. So what, everyone lost to Jack. Van de Velde is remember for one thing, his brutal collapse. Bad decisions and bad executions. Dude, I wish he could have held on just a little better...

 

 

No one remembers Doug Sanders for anything but that missed putt and clothes he wore. Granted he did win 20 times, but that was 40 years ago. If you don't win a major, you're lost to time.

 

Also, Doug just seems like a really sweet guy based on what I've seen/heard of him.

 

He doesn't seem like someone I'd ever wish that kind of fate on.

Sanders is an interesting character, but what i've seen and heard of him he can't stop living in the past. Every interview i've read he does nothing but name drop dead celebrities he used to hang out with 40 years ago. His charity tournament came to an end after some suspicious book keeping on his part. And he's also been suspended by the senior tour in his playing days for some questionable person behavior.

As indicated in the duplicate thread, plenty of people remember Paul Lawrie won - I've actually grown tired of them going back to Carnoustie because we have to relive van de Velde 24/7 for two weeks - I feel sorry for me.

Hard to feel sorry for Doug Sanders when he put one of the worst putting strokes in the history of golf on that ball.

Tom Watson

To this day I can't stand Stewart Cink.

That's a tough one. We see Van de Velde over & over again because it happened more recently & the documentary is running on GC so often now with The Open going back to Carnoustie, but watching Sanders reach towards the ball reflexively as if to rake it back after missing is painful to watch.

Van de Velde.

Van De Velde. Why? Sanders won 20 PGA tour events. He is remembered as a very successful player. He missed a putt, lost to Jack. So what, everyone lost to Jack. Van de Velde is remember for one thing, his brutal collapse. Bad decisions and bad executions. Dude, I wish he could have held on just a little better...

I would say Sanders for the same reasons. If you win 20 PGA Tour events, you would expect to win at least one major. Not to reach that expectation is disappointing. I'm sure Van de Velde never thought he'd come anywhere near winning a major, it would have been a bonus.

It was also after 3 other major 2nd places. So he had the heartbreak before...this was his moment...alas. Van de Velde never had that.

Also Sanders played really well to reach that point and did everything right, but for one shot that didn't go his way. Van de Velde was just a complete hatchet job. He had several opportunities to save himself and he failed to take them.

Scott Hoch

Tom Watson

 

 

To this day I can't stand Stewart Cink.

Yes, I too bear a totally unreasonable dislike for Cink. Ruined perhaps the best story in golf history.

Norman

Tom Watson

 

 

To this day I can't stand Stewart Cink.

I’ve never been more upset after a golf tournament. I usually enjoy tournaments but don’t get so invested in the outcome that it bothers me. What could have been?

Scott Hoch

This is what I was going to say. If you bring up Sanders you have to bring up Hoch. Or De Vicenzo.

As indicated in the duplicate thread, plenty of people remember Paul Lawrie won - I've actually grown tired of them going back to Carnoustie because we have to relive van de Velde 24/7 for two weeks - I feel sorry for me.

^^^ THIS TIMES A BILLION...

I feel sorry for Doug sanders’ playing partners waiting 15 minutes for him to hit the ball....every time.

Sanders. The guy deserved a major, he was a quality player for many years. jVV was a marginal euro player

Neither including Watson or Hoch. I’m disappointed at all of them for not closing the deal. But I’ve been accused of being a heartless ba$t@rd.

Easy, Sanders. The guy had a gimme and got the yips at the worst possible moment. Van De Velde's ball doesn't hit the metal pole "just right" on the grandstands and his second shot ends up in the rough next to the green side bunker. A chip anywhere on the green and he's got 3 putts to win. I would actually say Sanders was more of a choke given how it played out. If Van De Velde's second shot went straight into the water however without the incredibly bad bounce, that would be a different story then.

eventually loosing to Jack in a playoff.

Eventually ... what ??

eventually loosing to Jack in a playoff.

 

Eventually ... what ??

The spelling police strike again. Send the guy a note before calling him out .

eventually loosing to Jack in a playoff.

 

Eventually ... what ??

 

The spelling police strike again. Send the guy a note before calling him out .

Yea let’s celebrate bad grammar because reading and writing properly is for loosers

I feel sorry for Doug sanders' playing partners waiting 15 minutes for him to hit the ball....every time.

I know how they felt.

I played with a "sanders-lookup" guy last week in a tourney. Ridiculous, literally 15-20 "looks" before EVERY shot.

i don't feel sorry for anyone in golf ...

JV got screwed by a grandstand post, so unlucky

I've met Doug, nice gent .. and apparently the inspiration for Dead Solid Perfect .. so he has that going for him

eventually loosing to Jack in a playoff.

 

Eventually ... what ??

 

The spelling police strike again. Send the guy a note before calling him out .

 

Yea let's celebrate bad grammar because reading and writing properly is for loosers

Irregardless, and for all intensive purposes, your right.

eventually loosing to Jack in a playoff.

 

Eventually ... what ??

 

The spelling police strike again. Send the guy a note before calling him out .

 

Yea let's celebrate bad grammar because reading and writing properly is for loosers

 

 

Irregardless, and for all intensive purposes, your right.

Not celebrate, but cooperate as we would like to be treated by others. A message to the off ender might suffice. Teeheeheehee