# His 'bottle' near empty, Van de Velde to retire



## NikosCC (Oct 6, 2008)

> If they retired numbers in golf, Byron Nelson would own 11 (for his consecutive-wins streak in 1945), Gene Sarazen would have 2 (for his double-eagle at the 1935 Masters), and Jean Van de Velde — who this week said he is all but retiring from golf — deserves 7 (for his catastrophic triple-bogey on the 72nd hole of the 1999 British Open).
> 
> Poor Jean. No golfer in history is more renowned for a single misplayed hole. And yet he has always taken his infamy in stride. "Don't be sad," Van de Velde said after the ’99 Open, which Paul Lawrie won in a four-hole playoff. "I made plenty of friends, because a Scottish man won. So, at least that's something."
> 
> ...


Source-Press Tent: His 'bottle' near empty, Van de Velde to retire


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## King Woods (Feb 18, 2008)

His collapse is the stuff of legend, but he's been the epitome of sportsmanship. He's probably got the rest of his life set with all of his professional earnings, so I wish him the best.


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## stevel1017 (Apr 30, 2007)

when my bottle gets near empty, I go back to the liquor store


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