Joakim Haeggman

Residence: Dubai, UAE

DOB: 28/08/1969

Joakim Haeggman was the first Swede to play in the Ryder Cup – way back in 1993. Since then, he seems to have spent an inordinate amount of time laid up because of injuries sustained playing ice hockey. Nearly two years with a dislocated shoulder and broken ribs, an injury which effectively deprived him of the chance to retain his Ryder Cup place. When not recuperating he’s still found time to win a few tournaments though – and has made the top 20 in the European Order of Merit several times. One of Joachim’s claims to fame is that he equalled the world record for nine holes by knocking it round St Andrews in a mere 27 shots during the Alfred Dunhill Cup at St Andrews in 1997. Last season represented a third ‘comeback’ to the game’s highest level in a colourful career. Having fully recovered from the ankle break which marred his 2003 season, Haeggman enjoyed a superb 2004, the highlight coming when he won the Qatar Masters in March before he took third place in the Deutsche Bank Players’ Championship of Europe and the PGA Championship at Wentworth Club. It was form which pushed him to the fringes of automatic qualification for Europe’s Ryder Cup Team but, when he came up just short, he once again fulfilled a vital role in Bernhard Langer’s backroom team, as he had done for Sam Torrance at The Belfry in 2002. Other tour victories include the 1993 Spanish Open and the 1997 Volvo Scandinavian Masters. Joakim only played 5 events on the Full European Tour, playing the majority of the time on the Challenge Tour. His best finish on the full Tour came at the Indian Masters where he finished in a tie for 48th. Joakim fared much better on the second-tier Challenge Tour. His first and only victory of the season came at the AGF-Allianz Open in only his 4th start of the year. Joakim achieved 3 further top-15 finishes and finished the season in 39th place on the Order of Merit.