Scott Hend at the recent PGA Senior PGA, has been a winner all around the world.
SCOTT Hend’s five-shot victory at the 50th Trophy Hassan II in Morocco was his first win on the PGA Tour Champions circuit — and the perfect addition to an already stellar international resume.
The 52-year-old Queenslander has claimed victories in Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Macau, Australia, Canada, Germany, Barbados and now Morocco. A true world player, Hend looks set to base himself full-time on the “round-belly” Tour in the USA, further strengthening the strong Aussie contingent already competing there.
As a teenager Inside Golf’s Andrew Crockett occasionally played with Hend while he was under the guidance of respected PGA Professionals and coach’s Tom Berndt and Jim Duncan at Brisbane River Golf Club. Crocket recounts even then Hend was long off the tee, hitting his 2-iron past the drivers of most of his junior rivals, as his mates from Nudgee Golf Club will attest.
Hend went on to lead the PGA Tour in driving distance in 2005 (the first non-American to do so), though he lost his card after limited success. He bounced back strongly, earning Asian Tour Rookie of the Year in 2007, topping the Order of Merit in 2016, has 10 Asian Tour victories to his credit and is currently third on the all-time money list. He also owns three DP World Tour titles: the 2014 Hong Kong Open, 2016 True Thailand Classic and 2019 Maybank Championship.
Since turning 50, success has come quickly on the senior circuits. In Europe, he won on debut in 2023 at the Winston Golf Senior Open, added the Barbados Legends (closing with a 64) and European Legends Cup at Basozabal in 2025 to top the Staysure Legends Order of Merit. Hend currently leads the points list again in 2026 after just three starts. In America he has posted a T3 at the Senior PGA Championship, a second at the Regions Tradition, to go with an impressive win in Morocco, a result which saw him move to fifth on the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
With perhaps more air miles than Gary Player, it was no surprise Hend felt at home on the Robert Trent Jones-designed Royal Golf Dar Es Salam. The event was organised by the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation and the Hassan II Golf Trophy Association. Chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid, Hassan II Trophy celebrated its 50th staging in 2026.
As Prince Moulay Rachid noted: “Over the years, this course has welcomed many of the great names of world golf… Billy Casper, Sam Snead, Payne Stewart, Lee Trevino, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros and many others have helped establish the Hassan II Trophy as a landmark in international golf.”
Crockett spoke to Hend following his win in Morocco.
Crocket: You’ve been based in Florida for over 20 years, racking up the miles to Europe, Asia and Australia. Must be nice to play mostly in the USA for the next few years?
Hend: Yes, we’ve been here since 2004…a long time with some very long transits. The plan now is to play everything on the Champions Tour and see what happens. It can only be good.
Crockett: Such a prestigious event the Hassan Golf Trophy, must be a nice feeling to get that as your first Champions Tour victory?
Hend: Winning in Morocco was amazing. The trophy is special and being presented by the Prince was a real honour. Being the first Australian to win the event is another great stat. We Australians have pretty much won nearly everything around the world. Having my wife, Leanne, there to watch me win for the first time in 20 years, this was a special win. The last time that happened she was caddying for me in Canada back in 2002!
Crockett: Did you know an Aussie once won nine times in a single season on the Champions Tour back in 1985? (Peter Thomson)
Hend: Nine times? What a legend. I’d be wrapped to win just one more this year.
Crockett: Any desire to head home in December and take on Rory at Kingston Heath?
Hend: I’d love to play the Australian Open if it fits the schedule, but I’d need an invite from Golf Australia. I’m not sure that would happen because of my well-publicised views on the mixed format they introduced a few years ago. I’m happy that the men and women now have their own weeks to shine independently.
Scott Hend, a winner in Morocco on the PGA Tour Champions. Photo – Octavio Passos/Getty Images) via PGA Tour.
Crockett: Last time we spoke was at the Australian PGA on the Gold Coast, you were with Michael Moir from Fenix clothing. That is a nice story, out of Scotland, is their stuff available in Australia yet?
Hend: Mike Moir and I have shared a great partnership through the years. I watched FenixXCell grow and grow and provide better quality every year and without doubt it’s one of the best clothing lines going around.
Crockett: Any words for your Aussie fans back at the clubs in Brisbane, like Nudgee?
Hend: I always love coming back to Queensland and playing Nudgee. It’s a place I call home.
I’m an ironman, I love it. I love golf, I love playing golf. Golf is me, I’m golf.
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 feel like I’m competing against the best senior players in the world, it’s an awesome feeling.
So awesome to have the opportunity to play every single tournament on the Champions Tour, mix it up with these guys and be back in America and just going at it. It’s awesome.
Trophy Hassan II win comes with PGA TOUR Champions exemption
SCOTT Hend posted rounds of 66-69-69 in claiming his first PGA TOUR Champions title at the 50th edition of the Trophy Hassan II in Morocco. In the process earned fully exempt status on the PGA Champions Tour through the 2027 season.
The Queenslander, who had performed strongly in two Champions Tour majors prior to this win in Morocco, trailed by two shots with 10 holes to play in the final round, but a three-shot swing on the par-3 ninth – where Hend made birdie, and leader Tommy Gainey made double bogey – vaulted him into the tournament lead, which he never relinquished. Hend was the fourth straight international winner of the Trophy Hassan II since the tournament has been on the Champions Tour schedule.
For Hend it was his first win on PGA TOUR Champions in 12 starts, with his previous best result a second at the 2026 Regions Tradition event behind Charles Schwab Cup points leader Stewart Cink.
Hend’s exemption, which will be for the remainder of the current season, also includes starts in the limited field season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in 2027-28
Hend, who was a member of the PGA TOUR in 2004-2005, where he made 86 starts, was the first Australian to win in the 50-year history of the Trophy Hassan II.
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