Fast track Hend leads rookie challenge

With twin daughters named after sports cars, Australia’s Scott Hend is clearly back in the fast lane and enjoying a flying debut season on the Asian Tour.

While he may be a newcomer in the region, Hend, whose daughters are called Aston and McLaren, is no rookie on the international scene as he has won five times in Australia and featured in two seasons on the US PGA Tour.

One of the biggest hitters in the game, Hend's career hit a speed bump last year following a serious hand injury but the determined Australian has found the right cure by shifting his focus to Asia.

The Brisbane-born stalwart has by far been the most impressive amongst the rookies on the Asian Tour where in 11 events, Hend has posted three top-five finishes to move into third place on the Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit.

“I hope to continue my good run of form and stay in contention in future tournaments here. My goal is to improve on my ranking on the UBS Order of Merit and also the World Ranking and I have been on the right path so far,” said the 33-year-old.

Hend, who has played in three straight US Opens from 2004 to 2006, was marked for stardom in the US but a muscle tear in his left forearm put the brakes on his career. After a painful recovery period, Hend surely but slowly found his footing again in Asia.

He welcomed the birth of twin babies last December and then finished second in the Asian Tour Qualifying School in Thailand. He continued to make a strong impression in the curtain-raising event, the Pakistan Open in January when he finished runner-up behind champion Airil Rizman of Malaysia.

"There were only two things that I want to remember from 2006, the birth of my children and my performance in the US Open," said Hend.

He then hit a purple patch in April, first finishing second again in the Volvo China Open and then third at the BMW Asian Open a week later as he shifted into top gear and announced to the world that his recovery from injury was now complete.

“This year for me is rebuilding in strength and confidence here in Asia. I hope to achieve the best I can,” said Hend.

“I hope to win my first event (in Asia) as I feel much better about my game. I’ve come close many times before and there are still a lot more tournaments to play in, so we’ll see how the season shapes up."

While Hend has used the Asian Tour to re-launch his career, two Korean young guns have also propelled into recognition with some wonderful displays.

Kim Kyung-tae won on home soil at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in April and a month later, fellow 20-year-old, Bae Sang-moon enjoyed success at the SK Telecom Open, both producing winning performances well beyond their years.

Kim's rise has been predicted as he enjoyed an exceptional amateur career where he notched two gold medals at the Asian Games in Doha last December to go with his two victories on the Korean professional circuit.

He was later exempted from national service by the government in recognition of his golfing success and he turned professional immediately, marking his debut with a solid performance at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Phuket where he played on a sponsor's invite.

Bae's rise has been very much due to his mother Si Ok-hee who was on the bag on the week that he won. Bae outplayed Australian star Aaron Baddeley and Kim to launch his career.

“I really enjoy playing on the Asian Tour and it was a great experience competing against a strong field. I hope to compete in more events and challenge the Asian Tour players to improve my game in the remaining months,” said Bae.

The Asian Tour is now enjoying its traditional summer break and will resume play with the IRDA Johor Classic in Malaysia from August 16-19.

June 19, 2007

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