Victory in the 2011 Open de France was the highlight of Frenchman Thomas Levet’s career.
It came at a cost, however.
At the time the Parisian was 42-years-old, a five-time European Tour winner and had been a runner-up in the 2002 Open at Muirfield.
But his record in his home Open at Le Golf National was not very good. In fact, he’d never made a top 10.
Then a third-round 67 got him into contention and he eased past the other contenders with a final-round 70 to seal a one-shot victory in front of ecstatic French fans.
“The atmosphere today was great,” he said straight afterwards. “The people were going, ‘Allez, allez, allez’. I felt like one of the Tour de France riders climbing a mountain.”
Perhaps the giddy scenes got to him a little.
After all the formalities of speaking to the media and lifting the trophy were done, Levet and his manager were urged to venture towards the lake and jump in.
What followed was captured on this amateur film.
The pair begin by taking off their shoes, all the while goofing about and mugging for the photographers.
They wave to the cheering crowds.
Levet mimics leaping in head first and thanks goodness he didn’t.
Then the pair link arms and jump.
Initially it seems fun. They laugh and splash about a bit.
The manager gets to his feet but Levet struggles to. In fact, he stumbles.
Folk laugh and cheer. He stumbles again. The fans laugh and cheer again.
Levet waves to the cameras but he’s looking a little hesitant.
Gamely, he ploughs on but he’s twigged that something isn’t quite right and limps away.
It later emerged that he had fractured his shin bone, an injury that forced him to miss seven weeks of summer action including starts in the Open and the PGA Championship.
Colin Montgomerie wasn’t impressed.
“I think it is the silliest thing that players have done over the years,” he said.
There was an element of harrumphing about this but it also made sense.
“I have always been suspect about people diving into lakes, not knowing how deep they are and what is in there,” he said.
“There could be something sharp. He was lucky it was only a leg injury. It’s not the way to celebrate by taking the next three months off because you’ve hurt yourself.”
Levet was less censorious of himself.
A year later he returned to defend the trophy and said: “I hope I go in again. It means I won the tournament.”
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