As Jean van de Velde showed Thursday at Carnoustie, much can change in the span of 17 years.
The Frenchman nearly won the 128th Open on the famed Scottish links back in 1999, but he struggled mightily in his competitive return to Carnoustie, carding an 11-over 83 Thursday in the first round of the Senior Open.
Van de Velde, who turned 50 in May, didn't make a birdie until the 12th hole. By that point, he was already 9 over on his round, having opened with a trio of bogeys before a triple on No. 6. The score left him 14 shots off the early clubhouse lead, set by a group that included Scott McCarron, Joe Durant and Esteban Toledo.