Joakim Haeggman secured a maiden Legends Tour victory following a sensational final round of 66 at the MCB Tour Championship Seychelles.
Played over the picturesque fairways at Constance Lemuria on Praslin Island, the Swede’s winning moment came just days after legendary Republic of Ireland and Celtic goalkeeper Packie Bonner secured £25,000 for charity with victory in the wapp Celebrity Series Grand Final.
Haeggman teed off in the final group alongside Austrian Markus Brier and moved three shots clear of the field following three birdies in a row and an eagle before the turn.
Despite a shaky back nine, the 53-year-old held his nerve to finish four shots clear of Brazilian Adilson da Silva to win for the first time since joining the Legends Tour in 2019. His victory made him the sixth maiden winner during the 2022 Legends Tour season.
Haeggman, a three-time DP World Tour winner, moved up to fifth place on the Legends Tour Order of Merit rankings ahead of this week’s MCB Tour Championship Mauritius, staged at the stunning Constance Belle Mare Plage. The final event of the season will crown a new Order of Merit winner with several names in the mix to take home the John Jacobs trophy.
South African James Kingston currently sits at the top of the rankings following a consistent 2022, which has seen him claim the Swiss Seniors Open along with two runner-up finishes. Da Silva sits in second place ahead of 2019 Order of Merit winner Phillip Price, with Paul Lawrie in fourth.
A delighted Haeggman said: “I have done well in a few other tournaments, but it was so nice to finally get myself a trophy and that is what we play for. I am really happy.
“I first looked at the leaderboard on 17. I knew I was flying; at that point I was five or six-under for the day and I knew the others were not following. I have played in the last group a few times this year and you learn from the process.”
Earlier in the week, Bonner fended off a field containing nine other celebrities from the world of sport and entertainment in the wapp Celebrity Series Grand Final - winning £25,000 for a charity close to his heart.
Competing for the Amyloidosis Research Fund based at the Royal Holloway Hospital in London, Bonner held his nerve to shoot three-under his handicap on Praslin Island, finishing a point ahead of 1996 Formula One World Champion Damon Hill.
Remarkably, the 62-year-old, who qualified for the final in the Seychelles with victory at the Celebrity Series event at Rosapenna, Ireland, in August, scored a sensational 67 points over two rounds despite playing with a rental set and additional clubs he had borrowed during practice days - his own set having failed to show following his flight from Ireland.
Also competing in the Celebrity Series Grand Final was former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler, Chelsea legends Roberto Di Matteo and Gianfranco Zola, and Sir Andrew Strauss, who famously captained the England cricket team to back-to-back Ashes wins in 2009 and 2011.
Fellow cricketer Barry Richards, who finished in third place, presenter Georgie Bingham, champion alpine ski racer and 1976 Winter Olympic gold medallist Franz Klammer, and Boyzone star Keith Duffy – the defending champion – were also playing for their chosen charities.
Now in its second year, the Legends Tour wapp Celebrity Series Grand Final features a prize pot of £100,000 – the amount is split between the ten charities depending on where each celebrity finishes.
Bonner said: “It is incredible. I feel so humbled because I came here with no expectations whatsoever.
“Amyloidosis is fairly rare. It is a build-up of protein that can affect people’s organs and my dad died from it when he was 61 and there is also a genetic strain. I have to be tested for it myself. It is an important charity and the research is getting closer to, at the least, a medication that would help if you trace it early enough and they may even find a cure - so that is what we are trying to do.
“I am so happy that I have been able to give something back to the charity. It feels wonderful.”
The end-of-season MCB Tour Championship will continue between December 9-11 at Constance Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius, where the Order of Merit winner will be crowned. Run by the Legends Tour, the end-of-season events are partnered with Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB), Constance Hotels & Resorts and Seychelles Tourism.
Phil Harrison, chief executive of the Legends Tour, said: “It was a great week in the Seychelles played over a stunning course, and both the professional and celebrity events proved great successes.
“Packie Bonner’s win was another step on the Legends Tour journey with our Celebrity Series raising much-needed funds for a host of charities and concludes a successful second year for the event.”
The MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles and the 2022 wapp Celebrity Series Grand Final leaderboard can be found here: https://www.legendstour.com/tournament/mcb-tour-championship-seychelles-2022
See below for full list of celebrities and the charities they were supporting:
Georgie Bingham - Macmillan Cancer Support; Packie Bonner - Amyloidosis Research Fund; Roberto Di Matteo – Prostate Cancer UK; Keith Duffy – AsIAm; Robbie Fowler – Zoe’s Place; Damon Hill – HALOW; Franz Klammer – The Franz Klammer Foundation; Andrew Strauss – The Ruth Strauss Foundation; Gianfranco Zola - Centro Sclerosi Multipla, Ospedale S. Raffaele, DIMER; Barry Richards – The Ingrid Diesel Scholarship for Girls