The plane carrying American Brandt Snedeker and his caddy to Spain, and this week’s Volvo World Match-Play Championship, had to make an emergency landing in The Azores when a passenger on his flight suffered a heart attack.

Snedeker was aboard a Iberia Airlines flight heading from Miami and bound for Madrid when the drama occurred some 39,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean.

Brandt Snedeker's first visit to Spain delayed by mid-air drama over the Atlantic. (Photo - Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)

There was not other option for the pilot to seek permission to land at The Azores from where the passenger was rushed to hospital.

And that was not the only concern for the World No. 26 as his clubs and luggage was lost on route.

“It’s been a weird journey over here to say the very least,” said the American who is competing in Spain for the first time in his career.

“I’ve had hardly any sleep and I’ve also had to go out and buy some clothes here in the pro shop waiting for my luggage to turn up.

But then Snedeker is not the only player with luggage and golf club concerns this week.

Here is a list of those arriving at Finca Corstein having endured airline headaches.

Ian Poulter – Missing luggage and clubs.

Alvaro Quiros – Missing clubs

Matteo Manassero (first reserve) – Missing clubs

Robert Karlsson – Missing luggage

Gareth Lord (caddy to Robert Karlsson) – Missing luggage

And Paul Lawrie’s luggage that went astray two weeks ago on route from Aberdeen via London and Madrid to Seville for the Spanish Open still has not been seen.

“I’ve been informed they’ve found it but I still haven’t seen my suitcase,” said Lawrie.