Van de Velde wants to play in Women's British Open

28 October 2005
Jean Van de Velde, famous for losing a British Open, says he wants to play in the women's equivalent at Royal Birkdale next year.

The Frenchman, who let slip the 1999 championship at Carnoustie by running up a triple-bogey seven at the 72nd hole, is unhappy at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club's (R & A) recent decision to allow women to qualify for the British Open.

"It's crazy that women should be allowed to try to qualify for our Open when men cannot do it for their Open," Van de Velde told reporters after struggling to a seven-over-par 78 in the first round of the Volvo Masters.

"I intend to make a stance. What kind of discrimination is this?

"I think it is a farce and those poor guys who won the British Open three or four times must be spinning in their graves."

Van de Velde intends to contact the Ladies Golf Union (LGU), governing body for the Women's British Open, to insist he gets a chance to qualify, even though he knows their rule is that any participant must be "of the female gender".

"I am definitely going to approach them (the LGU) to get an application form," he said.

Van de Velde appreciates he would have a huge golfing advantage over the women.

"I know we have an unfair advantage, so if we have an unfair advantage, let them play with themselves and let us play with ourselves."

Earlier this month, the R & A ruled that the top five women from each of their four majors will be allowed to enter regional qualifying for the 2006 British Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

But Van de Velde believes the R & A have more important issues, like testing players for drugs, to address than allowing women to play in British Open qualifying.

"I definitely anticipate my entry form being accepted (by the LGU) because if it doesn't then I will definitely take advice on what I can do about it and I will see how far it can go," he said.

"If they do allow me to, I'd definitely go and play, just to make a point. I would be very happy to use the ladies' locker-room.

"Where do we draw the line? If we allow women to try to qualify for the men's Open it implies women can play with men, so why not men playing with women?"

Former Ryder Cup player Barry Lane of Britain applauded Van de Velde's stance, saying "they (the R & A) are going overboard".

Lane added: "If 100 men decided to take the same stance and they all qualified off the ladies' tees, they could take most of the Women's British Open spots."