Paul Lawrie, the newly-crowned British Open champion, will be renewing his rivalry with amiable Frenchman Jean Van de Velde in the Smurfit European Open at The K Club next week. Indeed the pair could also find themselves as colleagues in Europe's Ryder Cup team for Brookline in September.

A prosperous future is assured for the 30-year-old Scot, but it is unclear at this stage how seriously Van de Velde will be affected by the heartbreak of Carnoustie's 18th on Sunday. Either way he can count on the support of his wife Brigitte.

Apparently unsure whether to laugh or cry while her husband battled with the Barry Burn, she claims he will bounce back from his golfing disaster. "It has been good to see him play as good as he can this week," she said. "There was just that one mistake at the last. It was silly and I told him that he should have played for safety."

Royal and Ancient secretary Sir Michael Bonallack was moved to remark: "I have not seen anything like that, either in the Open or at a monthly medal at home."

Sadly, promising careers have been broken by such happenings. One recalls the Open at Royal Troon in 1982, when Bobby Clampett stormed into a runaway lead after 36 holes, only to crumble in the heat of battle over the weekend. He would never make a further impact in a major championship and now commentates for CBS Television in the US.

With only three holes to play, New Zealander Simon Owen led Jack Nicklaus by one stroke in the 1978 Open at St Andrews. But his challenge effectively ended at the 16th, where he had a bogey to the Bear's birdie. He, too, would never get another chance at glory.

But Van de Velde would more profitably look to the experience of Nick Price, who squandered a winning position at Troon in 1982 and lost a head-to-head battle with Seve Ballesteros at Royal Lytham in 1988. Within six years of that set-back, the Zimbabwean was the holder of three major titles.

Recalling his exploits in the Burn, with the water covering his ankles, Van de Velde said: "As it was sinking, the ball was telling me `Hey, you madman, not for you, not today'. It was then three inches in the water and at that moment there was no hope."

Those who felt they had established a certain bond with the Frenchman in his hour of torment, have reason to believe his endearing sense of humour will see him through.

Meanwhile, Lawrie in enthused by the prospect of becoming part of the European effort to retain the Ryder Cup. "I am really looking forward to it," he said in Aberdeen yesterday. "I was 24th on the list before the Open and now I am second. I cannot wait to get there."

The courageous Scot now joins a glittering array of celebrated players who have held aloft the famous jug. Among them is his hero, Ballesteros along with such giants of the modern game as Tom Watson and Nick Faldo. After Sunday's triumph, Lawrie drove home to Aberdeen and stayed up chatting for hours with his wife Marian, the trophy by his side.

But all the excitement meant he had little sleep as he attempted to come to terms with his triumph. "There were a lot of people at the house this morning and everything is just about sinking in," he went on. "The Claret Jug is there and my name's engraved on it. So yes, I now realise I have won the Open.

"I drove my brother-in-law Gary home at around 11.30pm and watched the play-off, which my wife taped. I had a couple of drinks and then went to bed. And when I couldn't sleep, I got up to watch the play-off again."

As it happens, Lawrie has a long-term contract to endorse Kartel Clothing, which is manufactured by John Swan Ltd in their factory in Santry, Dublin. What makes the deal especially interesting, however, is that it was signed in Carnoustie last Wednesday, the eve of the Open.

"In fact we both did very well out of the arrangement," said Alan Swan of the sponsoring company. "Paul told me he really fancied his chances in the Open, so I had a bet on him at 40/1 to be the leading Briton and another bet at 150/1 to actually win the title."

Understandably, the new champion has withdrawn from this week's Dutch Open in Hilversum. But Van de Velde has entered, along with Irish challengers Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley, Des Smyth, Eamonn Darcy, Philip Walton and John McHenry.