Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
The passing of Freddy is just so sad..
FREDRIK ANDERSSON HED’S sudden death on Sunday stopped me in my tracks.
The Swede was only 49 – the same age as me – so his passing after battling cancer hit me hard.
Like all things nowadays I found out scrolling through social media; a modern, absent minded habit that merely adds to the shock.
One moment you’re smiling at vacuous Premier League memes on Twitter, the next you’re confronted by the death of a much-loved former colleague.
Freddy, who retired in 2015 after making 358 European Tour appearances, had a similar career to me, but enjoyed a little more success.
Often, a player like Hed will be described as a ‘solid journeyman’, but I detest that phrase.
It is disrespectful and incredibly unfair.
Yes, after turning pro in 1992, he struggled to get on tour and at times he also struggled to keep his status, but he was still mixing it with the top 0.001 percent of the sport.
There’s a lot to be said for that. He won the Italian Open in 2010 when he didn’t have a full card and went on to enjoy his most successful season that year, reaching 22nd in the rankings on the Order of Merit.
He also enjoyed runners-up finishes at the BMW PGA Championship in 2010, the 2011 Scottish Open and both the Omega European Masters and Hong Kong Open in 2012.
I played quite a bit with Freddy and he was a wonderful golfer. He was strong, athletic and courageous. You learned a lot in his company.
He was typically Swedish. He loved the game but he was also incredibly efficient. He did everything in his powers to get the most from his golf.
After retirement, Freddy embarked on a broadcasting career back in Sweden and I’ve no doubt he was as dedicated and skilful with a microphone as he was with his clubs.
To read that his life has been cut short from cancer at just 49 and that he leaves a wife Anna, son Viggo and daughter Molly behind is just so sad.
Rest well Freddy.