FanHouse Jean Van De Velde

Every sports fan has a little bit of a photographic memory. They remember images of their favorite players or incredible moments. The Joe Carter home run leap. The concluding seconds of the Miracle on Ice. Michael Jordan's final shot against the Jazz in 1997.

In golf, one year stands out for images that will forever be burned in our skull. That year was ten years ago, in 1999. You had the David Duval eagle putt for 59 drop as his yellow Tommy Hilfiger shirt came untucked and a rare first pump ensued. Sergio Garcia closing his eyes to hit a shot from behind a tree at Medinah, only to run down the fairway as it somehow found its way on the putting surface, scissor kick and all. Payne Stewart's statuesque image when the winning putt dropped at Pinehurst. Jean Van de Velde, hands on his hips, standing in the Barry Burn at Carnoustie, pants rolled up, making the most famous triple-bogey in the history of golf. Any and all images from that Sunday at Brookline, when the Americans stormed back to beat the Europeans at the Ryder Cup.

GolfChannel.com decided to put all these in writing in something they're calling "Project '99", and had some of their most talented voices jot down what they remembered from the event personally. Rich Lerner, who has been with The Golf Channel since 1997, chatted with FanHouse about the Van de Velde collapse, amongst other things. Click away for a little trip back in time.

CHASKA, Minn. -- His Sunday shirt is red, of course, as in the blood he usually extracts from his rivals. But this time, the blood sprayed all over Tiger Woods, staining him in ways we'd never observed in the final round of a major championship. He missed makeable putts. He hit tee shots into bunkers, off trees, into galleries. He cursed and talked to the golf ball and, in a revealing snapshot, leaned over and placed his hands on his knees, looking as desperate and exasperated as we've seen him.

"I did everything I was supposed to do,'' he said, "except get the golf ball in the hole.''

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Stewart Cink is the British Open champion, the first major victory of his 15-year professional career. Given what happened at the 2001 U.S. Open at Southern Hills, you might say it's a been a long time coming.

But part of me wonders if the 138th Open Championship will be remembered for who didn't win. Tom Watson, 59 -- and 26 years removed from his last major title -- was the 54-hole leader. In fact, he was the 71st-hole leader, too. A sloppy bogey on the last landed him in a playoff with Cink and that was that.

It was a valiant effort and a hell of a lot of fun to watch, particularly since we weren't beaten about the head with every Tiger Woods shot since, you know, he missed the cut.

It's been ten years since Jean Van de Velde imploded on Carnoustie's 72nd hole. He stood on the 18th tee box needing just a double-bogey to become the first Frenchmen to win a major championship since Arnaud Massy in 1907. Roughly 15 minutes and seven excruciating strokes later it was over.

My main man Anthony Kim should've heeded the "If you've got nothing good to say, say nothing at all" on Monday when he was doing a press conference with the media for the upcoming Quail Hollow Championship that Kim will be defending at the end of April.

One of the reporters asked a question that has been tossed around the golf world a million times since the economy has hit the basement, and Kim kindly answered it as best he could. Problem was, Kim might want to check the news.

Most of the time viewers watch golfers on the PGA Tour and are more jealous than the buddy of a powerball winner.

Today isn't one of those times.

The leaders at the Open Championship are battling their way around the links of Royal Birkdale in winds that are gusting to 40 miles-per-hour, hitting balls in places you'd never expect pros to be.

Nobody has broke par today and an Englishman named Simon Wakefield, who even the best of golf fans couldn't pick out of a lineup, fired an even-par round of 70 to post five-over, a number that is slowly becoming the mark to beat.

Justin Rose shot an 82, Jean Van de Velde fired an 80 and Adam Scott posted a 77 in winds on a day where the scoring average is 75.75, nearly six-over.

It appears nobody told Greg Norman that he's supposed to be struggling in these conditions. The Shark just made a birdie on the 14th hole to move in the lead at three-over, tied with K.J. Choi as they attempt to take advantage of the par-5 15th.

The weather has brought a lot of golfers back into the picture, including early favorite Anthony Kim, who made an eagle on the 17th hole to post 71. Kim stands at seven-over and as close as he's ever been to winning a major championship.

Bundle up, throw down another glass of coffee and remember how important a par is today. Our final pairing tomorrow could very easily be Simon Wakefield and Greg Norman. My how the world of golf is different without a certain Tiger Woods around.

I've often wondered if Jean Van de Velde would've been remembered as anything more than the first Frenchman to win the British Open in 92 years had he not imploded on Carnoustie's 72nd hole in 1999. The eventual winner, Englishman Paul Lawrie, faded into obscurity shortly after his improbable victory, so it's not like winning one tournament -- even a major -- guarantees anything more than fleeting glory (Todd Hamilton agrees).

But unlike Lawrie, who most casual golf fans would struggle recognize if he walked up and kicked them in the groin, Van de Velde will forever have a place in Open Championship history. Sure, it's not Tiger at Torrey Pines-type memories, but, hey, we can't all be the best player in the world.

Van de Velde qualified for Royal Birkdale, so maybe this is the year he finally wins the thing. Okay, there's a better chance Colin Montgomerie and Sergio Garcia are declared dual champions, but among the three, I'm pulling for Jean. I'm sentimental like that.