Golf News: - Posted 19th October 1997

Haeggman shoots 27 over St Andrews first nine to equal world record

St Andrews, Scotland, 19th October - Sweden's Joakim Haeggman has equaled the professional world record for nine holes with a remarkable display of golf for a 9- under par 27 over St Andrews first nine holes. His achievement came in Sweden's 2-1 semi-final victory over top seeds and defending champions America in the 1997 Alfred Dunhill Cup..

Haeggman is only the seventh man in the world, and the first in Britain, to shoot 27 for nine holes in a professional tournament.

Against the par of 4-4-4-4-5-4-4-3-4 (36) Haeggman's scorecard read 3-4-2-3-4-3-3-2-3 (27), birdie, par, eagle (a 130-yard wedge into the hole) and then six more birdies with putts ranging from four to 24 feet.

The 28-year-old was playing against Open Champion, Justin Leonard, who said: "I was making sure I kept the scorecard real neat because I knew it was going on a wall somewhere.

"All I said to him was 'good putt, good shot, nice drive, that's perfect, you still have the tee'."

"It would be hard to find a better place to do it," said Haeggman. "They keep putting the numbers up in your face, so I knew what I was doing - but I didn't know it was the world record.

"I suppose it proves that it's possible to shoot 54."

He did not get close to that, though. Nor did he become the first man on the European tour to break 60. And nor did he even break the course record.

After starting for home with two pars Haeggman drove into a gorse bush on the 316-yard 12th and could not find the ball. He ran up a triple bogey seven and came home in 41 for a total of 68.