Scott Hend secures PGA Tour Champions future with five shot Morroco win
The years of travel to events anywhere have paid off with Hend’s biggest cheque and a future on the PGA Tour Champions – file image courtesy of NZ Open
Until this week, Queensland’s Scott Hend had played two events on the PGA Tour Champions in 2026 for a runner-up and a third-place finish, but, very importantly, his five-shot win in Morocco overnight has secured the 52-year-old his full playing rights for that tour, and he can now focus on what should be a very lucrative career there.
Hend led after round one at the Trophy Hassan 111, slipped one behind Tommy Gainey through 36 holes in the 54 hole event, but today completed an emphatic five-shot win over Gainey and New Zealand’s Steve Alker with a final round of 69.
A bogey at his opening hole of today’s final round saw Hend fall two behind Gainey, but by the turn, he was one ahead of Gainey, whose double bogey at the 9th and another bogey at the 10th would prove costly.
Alker was also emerging as a threat when he reached the turn in 4 under, but a double bogey at the 11th effectively put paid to his chances of a second win for the season.
Hend was just two ahead of Gainey with three to play, but bogeys at the 17th and 18th by the American and a birdie at the last by the Australian sealed the deal for Hend, who earns US$400,000 for his breakthrough win and moves to a very impressive 5th on the Charles Schwab Cup standings in just three events compared to the seven or eight those ahead of him have played.
One of the game’s great travelling journeymen for much of his career, Hend now has a tour on which he can focus much of his attention, in a country where he and his family have their permanent base, ensuring what should be a very productive time for him in the US.
“It means the world to me,” said Hend. “It means I can be back in the States full time, back in my house, back kicking my kids on the backside when they’re doing things wrong, supporting the wife. Just generally to feel like I’m competing against the best senior players in the world; it’s an awesome feeling.
“I thought coming T-3 at the Senior PGA, and then I finished 2nd at the Regions, 2nd in Barbados, I felt like I was on the way up. I didn’t feel like a win was going to come this quick, so hey, when the win comes, you take it. Not complaining, it’s awesome. It’s early in the season for me. Hopefully I can kick on and contend really strongly in the senior majors.”
“To win this tournament in the 50th edition is very prestigious and very special to me. To see the trophy is amazing. It’s an amazing trophy. To win out here on the Champions Tour and to win in Morocco, with the start of the week being a little bit cool for us and then heating up as the week went on, was a little bit challenging to stay mentally spot on out there and not get too tired from the heat.
“It was just a great trophy to win, and as I said, to win the 50th edition is amazing.”
Alker improved from 8th to his share of 2nd and improved two places to 4th in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
