Scott Hend becomes first Australian Hong Kong Open winner since 1983
Asian Tour player beats Angelo Que in a play-off to become the first Hong Kong Open champion from his country since Greg Norman in 1983
It didn't look like it, but Scott Hend said he felt calm during the play-off that won him the 56th Hong Kong Open at Fanling, becoming the first Australian since the great Greg Norman, in 1983, to lift the trophy.
Hend, lining up for a birdie putt on the first play-off hole, pulled out at the last second. The distance to the cup was 25 feet and the pressure was on.
I just wanted to slow things down. To be honest, I was more nervous at the start of the round than during the play-off
His caddie offered him a bottle of water and Hend took a sip. He missed his shot but opponent Angelo Que did worse, allowing Hend a second chance to par from five feet and win.
"I just wanted to slow things down. To be honest, I was more nervous at the start of the round than during the play-off," said Hend, after rolling in his winning putt to become the first player from the Asian Tour to win this event since Taiwan's Lin Wen-tang beat Rory McIlroy in a play-off in 2009.
Hend said his cautious approach had served him best and was wisest on a course which claimed such illustrious names as Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez this week.