JEAN'S NOT FEELING BLUE ANY MORE

Early bird Jean Van de Velde left his morning sickness behind after getting out of bed at 4.30am to shoot 71 on the Open graveyard shift. Precisely 121 punters greeted him on the first tee at 6.30am - and nine years after his fateful paddle at Carnoustie, Van de Velde showed he can still walk on water. Opening with a brilliant birdie, the mad Frenchman went on to play the front nine in just 32 - the best score to the turn. Two double bogeys on the homeward stretch dragged Van de Velde back towards the pack, but he is happy to be back after a severe case of glandular fever wrecked his 2007 season. Vomiting several times a day, he had tests for cancer - which happily proved negative. He missed out last year on a return to Carnoustie's famous water hazard, where a triple-bogey seven at the 72nd hole wrecked his Open challenge.... [read full story]