Scott Hend | Venetian Macao Open defending champion: ‘The biggest challenge for me this year is to become the first three-time winner’

Scott Hend takes a swing during last year’s tournament

Australian golfer Scott Hend has registered once more for the Venetian Macao Open, which will take place on the greens of the Macau Golf and Country Club this October.
The reigning champion and two-time winner of the event (2013 and 2015) will try to retain the winner’s cup and bank the biggest prize money ever, with the tournament offering a total of USD1.1 million (aprox MOP8.8 million) to be distributed amongst the winners.
The event, which has been increasing its prize money over the last four consecutive years, is now top of the list of the most rewarding tournaments on the Asian Tour.
This year, the 42-year-old golfer has an additional incentive, because his latest win at the Queen’s Cup, played on Koh Samui in Thailand last weekend, has increased his chances of qualifying for one of the two available spots to represent Australia at the Summer Olympic Games. Both Adam Scott and Marc Leishman, ranked 8th and 37th respectively, have stepped-down, leaving Hend (currently 74th in the world) in place to join world number one Jason Day in the return of the sport to the games, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August.
To learn more about Hend’s ambitions and expectations, the Times spoke to the golfer in a telephone interview.

Macau Daily Times (MDT) – What will be your biggest challenge this year?
Scott Hend (SH) – I’m sure I will meet a very strong field again this year and obviously my expectations will be pretty high as I get there. I’m just looking forward to the challenges of the golf course.
The biggest challenge for me this year is to become the first player to win it [the Open] three times. Nobody has won this event three times yet, so I hope to play a nice little game of golf to be the first three-time winner.

MDT – I remember last year you were not too happy with the weather and especially the rain. Are you hoping for better weather to help become a three-time winner?
SH – I just hope that it will be sunny and hot, because when it is the course dries out. I can’t control the weather but I would prefer to have a pretty firm golf course, so I would like that to happen.
I like how the golf course is a little bit bouncy, a little bit dry. I find it an interesting and exciting golf course to play.

MDT – You have already mentioned that being a three-time winner in Macau is your next career goal. What about after that?
SH – In my immediate future, [besides] playing well and winning in Macau, my goal is to qualify for the Olympics and aim for the US PGA. [It] would be nice to compete in a major world golf championship and win one of those elite tournaments.

MDT – How close are you to achieving that goal?
SH – It’s a work in progress! I’ve been working on this [goal] for about 20 years; hopefully it’s close now.

Macau Daily Times is the tournament’s official media partner.