HONG KONG — Australian Scott Hend hopes to tick a few boxes at the US$2 million UBS Hong Kong Open which starts on Thursday.
Top on his wish-list is to lift the prestigious Hong Kong title for the second time in three years which would then secure two other key goals – win the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit crown and qualify for the Masters Tournament next year.
“The Order of Merit prize is the culmination of the year. The UBS Hong Kong Open is a tournament I’d like to win for a second time. Right now, first and foremost on my mind is winning this tournament,” said the 43-year-old Aussie.
“I’ve got (other) goals I need to achieve. I win this tournament, I’m possibly in the world’s top-50 and get a start in the U.S. Masters next year. If I win the Order of Merit because of that, perfect. Right now, I want to focus on trying to win this tournament and playing the best I can, and then the rest of the accolades can come afterwards.”
Hend, the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit leader, holds a lead of US$302,419 from countryman Marcus Fraser, who is the only player in the field at Hong Kong Golf Club still in the Merit race. Fraser needs nothing short of a victory and Hend to finish lower than 13th position to overturn the odds.
“It’s still open between the two of us. He obviously has the ability to win the tournament this week, as a hundred other guys. But it’s something that I would really like to achieve. I could have wrapped it up a while ago, but I didn’t,” said Hend, who has won twice on the Asian Tour this year.
“I’ve got a job to do this week and I’m focused on the job I have to do.”
Concluding his 10th season in Asia, Hend, who is ranked 60th in the world, recalled with great delight his decision to sign up for Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2007 after losing his card in the U.S following a serious hand injury. He is now the most successful international golfer in Asia, winning nine times.
“Asia has been a great pathway for me to get to somewhere else where I wanted to go. You can’t always be where you want to be and sometimes you’ve just got to take what you can. It was a great place for me to be at a time where I had nothing and I came to Q-School and finished runner-up to Ben Leong in Q-School. And from then on, went to Pakistan, finished second to all of a sudden hit greater heights and climb my way up to Top 60 in the world. Hopefully from here, I’ll get on with it.
“It’s been a great year. Obviously a couple years ago, I won three times in a year, but this year, I’ve had a few more top-10s mixed in with the wins. On a scale of 1 to 10, probably I’d rate it around an eight. It would have been nice to win more. I’ve been in position to win, and that’s what we are all about obviously.”
Fraser, who won once in Malaysia this season, played down his chances of upsetting the odds. “It’s like giving Usain Bolt a head start in a 90-metre race; it’s highly unlikely. It’s not one of my priorities,” said Fraser.
“My priority is playing well this week. It’s a golf course I love playing, and Hendy has played well all year and deserves to win, and in my eyes, I think it’s all done and dusted.”
