The Worst Collapse In Golf History Happened 14 Years Ago Today, Here Are The GIFs From Jean Van De Velde's Epic Choke

Ross Kinnaird/Getty ImagesJean van de Velde only needed a double-bogey six or better on the 18th hole to win the 1999 British Open.

He could have hit four wedges onto the green, taken two putts and won the tournament.

But instead he hit one shot off the grandstand, plopped another into a creek, and finished the hole with a triple-bogey seven to fall into a three-way playoff, which he eventually lost.

It was one of the biggest collapses in golf (and sports) history. Here's how it went down.

SHOT #1: He drove it through the fairway, but it was still an okay drive.

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SHOT #2: Instead of laying up, he went for the green, and disaster struck. He clanged it off the grandstand and into the hay.

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SHOT #3: He chunked his shot from the rough directly into the creek.

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SHOT #4: In a desperate attempt to avoid a penalty stroke, he took his shoes off and thought about hitting it from the creek. But he eventually had to take a drop because the ball sank.

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SHOT #5: He chunked another approach shot into the bunker.

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SHOT #6: Needing to get up-and-down to stay in the playoff, he chipped it within 10 feet.

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SHOT #7: He made the triple-bogey putt, and celebrated making the playoff.

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Ultimately though, he lost in the playoff to Paul Lawrie, sealing one of the worst collapses ever:

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