Scott Hend posted rounds of 66-69-69 to claim his first PGA TOUR Champions title at the 50th edition of the Trophy Hassan II in Morocco and 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.
The 52-year-old Hend scored 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 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
He also moved from No. 14 to No. 5 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, while becoming the third first-time winner on PGA TOUR Champions this season. Hend was also the fourth straight international winner of the Trophy Hassan II since the tournament has been on the Champions Tour schedule.
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 event’s 50-year history
The Australian is the owner of three career wins on the DP World Tour, as well as three on the European Staysure Legends Tour, including two during the 2025 season where he finished first on the Legends Tour’s Order of Merit, which is how he earned his spot in the Trophy Hassan II field
Two-time Charles Schwab Cup champion, Kiwi Steven Alker shot 68 on the final day to finish second in notching his fourth top-10 of the 2026.
- Additional information provided by PGATOUR.com
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