Jean Van de Velde remembers the most painful episode of his professional life all too vividly.
“The only painful memory I have is when I fell down and broke my knee in two places,” he said of the injury that has cut short his career.
He added that the infamous paddle in the Barry Burn and the loss of the 1999 Open Championship when three strokes ahead with just the 72nd hole to play is among his fondest.
“I didn’t hurt myself in ’99,” said the Frenchman, in Scotland to accept an award from the PGA in company with his old adversary Paul Lawrie.
“Maybe a bit mentally, as I wasn’t able to sleep for two nights after, but then again I didn’t sleep much the night before either.
“The way I look at it is; what do we play for? Yes, to have your name on the trophy, but you play golf, you put in the hours, to push yourself as much as you can into contending and being there to win a major.
“Things happen when you do that, but knowing that you’re there from the first to the 72nd hole, that you felt everything, heard the noise your stomach was making, that’s not painful, those are great, great memories.
“I remember the people talking to me, the alley of the stands and the crowd, the silence over the shots and the cheer when I holed the last putt on 18, those are things I’ll remember for ever.
“My name on the trophy that would have been for ever too, but I’m fine with it.”
Van de Velde is also fine with how people remember him, and also seems resigned now that his career is over after the reconstruction surgery to his knee.
“I wake up every morning with a sore knee. And after full reconstruction it’s not going to go away, but I’m up and standing,” he said.
“I’ve put on weight and I feel terrible because I’m not playing golf as much but they’re not big problems.
“I played 20 rounds of golf in 2010 and this year I overdid it with 23 rounds, I don’t think I will play more in future. I will play for fun and to see my friends but no more than that.
“I got up three years ago and realised I didn’t want to put the hours in any more, go to the range, the gym as much as I did before, travel as much. You have an expiry date on you, it’s going to happen.”
He is impressed with the way Lawrie, only three years younger, has fought his way back to form and second place at the Dubai World Championship.
“The first thing I noticed about him when I saw him on TV in Dubai was that he’d lost a stone and a half,” he continued.
“I know that would take work in the gym, which shows the motivation is there. Paul is an amazing player, a multiple winner, Ryder Cup player, major winner.
“He’s been on tour for 20 years and he knows the courses, knows where he should be going and not be going, and he can keep fresh that way, so he’s as committed as ever.
“Jay Haas played in the Ryder Cup at 49, so there’s no reason why Paul can’t contend to be on the next team and you need players with his maturity.
“Paul’s a family man, dad of two boys, does a lot for charity, golf is his life but there’s a lot of things that make him the man he is.”