Australian big hitter Scott Hend overcame a two-shot deficit to snatch victory in the Queen’s Cup on Thailand’s Koh Samui island yesterday as overnight leader Prom Meesawat stumbled.
The 42-year-old finished the day with a four-under-par 67, one shot ahead of runner-up and local talent Gunn Charoenkul in the $300,000 competition at the Santiburi Samui Country Club.
It was Hend’s second title of the season and his ninth career victory on the Asian Tour. Hend, the most successful international player on the tour, said he was pleased to make up for some recent near-wins in Mauritius and China.
“I lost the tournament in Wentworth, lost the tournament in Mauritius and had chances in China. That’s four times this year and I didn’t win,” Hend said after his second title in the year. “Whether this was my golf course or not, I’ve been playing very good golf and trying to not get down on myself. It’s nice to win again.”
Yesterday’s win might push Hend closer to qualification for the Olympics in Rio, where golf will return for the first time after 1904. “There are three more weeks for the Olympic qualifying,” said Hend, currently ranked 87th in the world.
“I’m 43 this year, who knows how much longer (I can play) although I’m getting better with age. It’ll be nice to go the Olympics and be one of the first Australians to play in it since golf’s re-inclusion. It’s all these different things that you chalk up in your career and when you’re finished, you just sit back and say this is what I did.”
Two late bogeys saw Thailand’s Prom go from starting the day out in front to ending with a disappointing 72.
He finished in joint third alongside American Paul Peterson, Korea’s Wang Jeung-hun and Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert.