I enjoyed Lewine Mair’s column on Jean Van de Velde (“Van de Velde bids c’est la vie to Carnoustie,” July 29 GGP).
I have always believed that his second shot to 18 in the 1999 Open Championship was the unluckiest shot ever hit, and Mair seemed to hint at the same thought with her “lone metal rod” reference. Ninety-nine times out of 100 that ball would have struck the rail and gone either into the stands or into the rough beside the stands. Unbelievable.
I remember seeing Van de Velde the next year playing 18 at the Open at St. Andrews. He stopped and shook hands with a player coming down No. 1, and with that player’s caddie. The stories I read later said that the caddie, Christophe Angiolini, had been Van de Velde’s the year before at Carnoustie. I thought that was classy.
Mark Scarborough
Meridian, Mississippi
As a fan, I found myself comfortable with just watching the Open Championship and not being restricted or conflicted by partisanship. Some of those guys near the top have proved to be gracious gentlemen, and Thriston Lawrence showed a special tenacity and calm in the face of pressure that made it easy to wish him well. But near the middle I found myself leaning toward rooting a little extra for Xander Schauffele and Justin Rose, knowing how much the latter wanted this one and his having to play himself into the Open (“‘Chills’ but no spills for Schauffele,” July 22 GGP).
I saw Xander all of those years getting close and not being able to finish strong enough to win, over and over, and now he seems poised to rise to the very top of professional golf. Not quite sure what to think of Scottie Scheffler.
The bickering about the course setup on Saturday was amusing. We common folk, especially here in central Texas, have faced those vicious winds in late winter and spring, having to use driver into 170-yard par-3s, and so it was interesting, if not fun, to watch the world’s best deal with the challenges presented by the weather. The conditions were the same for everyone, and in that regard, it was not unfair despite the complaints of some.
The great thing about golf is that we all have to hit our shots ourselves, and so, when it’s all done, we have only ourselves to blame or praise.
Robert Salas
Austin, Texas
I volunteered at the LIV tournament in Portland, Oregon, in 2022, and it was the same as what Matt Cooper described: total traffic gridlock for hours (“Heaven and hell at LIV Golf,” July 29 GGP).
No provision was made to get cars in and out of Pumpkin Ridge. People were stuck for 45-60 minutes trying to get to the highway through temporary roads through fields.
LIV needs to get its act together with transportation issues.
Joy Morrison
Portland, Oregon
As a 79-year-old American golfer whose parents came from villages near Bridgend, I always love stories about Porthcawl and Wales (“A refreshing reminder of game’s essence,” July 29 GGP). With the nonsense of LIV vs. the PGA and DP World tours, stories like this are a breath of fresh air.
Art Williams
Luzerne, Pennsylvania
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