WASHINGTON: Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin was late for his tee time in space on November 22, but still managed to launch a super-lightweight golf ball into orbit.

Tyurin hit the golf ball 77 minutes behind schedule after delays to fix an overheating spacesuit and a stuck exterior hatch. Using a gold-plated six-iron and an American astronaut in the role of caddy-and-safety-holder, Tyurin hit the drive from a spring-like tee outside the International Space Station. The shot, which veered a little to the right, kicked off a problem-plagued slightly shortened spacewalk.

Tyurin’s shot was not the first in space. Astronaut Alan Shepard took a swing on the moon during the Apollo 14 mission in 1971.