In 1999, French golfer Jean van de Velde was poised to win the British Open at Carnoustie in Scotland, with a three-shot lead going into the final hole at 18, a par four. A double bogey (six) would clinch the victory and make him the first Frenchman in over 90 years to win the tournament. The 18th hole had been friendly to van de Velde in practice and in previous rounds, but not so much this time.

Shot #1: sends his drive into the rough

Shot #2: hits the grandstand, ricochets off a rock wall, lands in the rough

We’re talking knee-high scruff here, folks.

Shot #3: into the water

Oh, honey.

Shots #4 & 5: wants to hit it out of the water to avoid taking a drop, but the ball sinks — next shot goes straight into the bunker

Shot #6: on the green!

Shot #7: one putt for a triple-bogey

This sent van de Velde into a playoff for the win (and likely sent the claret jug engraver into a tizzy). Ultimately, van de Velde lost the playoff to Paul Lawrie. I couldn’t tell you one thing about Paul Lawrie, but van de Velde’s meltdown remains seared in my memory. And look, don’t feel too bad for the man: He won roughly 4.3 million pounds over the course of his career, and he remains equanimous despite being synonymous with “choke” in the sports world. He’s doing just fine.

Said van de Velde, in 2018, “Golf is a large part of me but it doesn’t make me who I am as a human being. A lot of bad things happen around us, whether it’s family related or illness or more dramatic stuff, I always had the perspective to put the game of golf where it belongs.”

How is this political? Well, it’s not really, but replace “golf” with “politics” in the above quote and remember that, like the finale of the 1999 British Open, the next four years will be excruciating, but we’ll get through it, and it doesn’t have to define us.

Stay safe and take care out there, Avocados!