Staff WriterWhen the long-hitting Australian veteran Scott Hend tees off at the Singapore Open this week, it’s not just another tournament stop.
The 52-year-old is closing in on the all-time earnings top spot on the Asian Tour. Yet true to form, Hend’s sights are still firmly set on one thing: winning.
A career milestone looming
Hend arrives at the Singapore Open having just moved his career earnings on the Asian Tour past the US $5.6 million mark — within striking distance of legendary Thai champion Thongchai Jaidee, the money list leader. At last week’s Hong Kong Open he was battling with youth and fire, not just legacy. He pushed hard, secured a top-six finish, and sharpened his focus for Singapore.
“It doesn’t really matter – we are hopefully going to get there eventually! That’s not really an exemption that I’m really looking at. I’m looking at trying to stay in the top 65 as long as I can, even though obviously I’m getting older. I prefer to be exempt through that money-list category or winners categories. That’s what sort of drives me.”
That quote says it all: Hend wants status, he wants respect — but above all he wants to earn it each week with the clubs in his hands.
Singapore: the stage for something more
The Singapore Open will serve as a platform for more than just a paycheck. With just two tournaments remaining for the season, Hend is also eyeing spots in the upcoming LIV Golf Promotion Event and a chance at one of two golden tickets to the LIV Golf circuit that the International Series offers.
He currently sits 57th in the Asian Tour Order of Merit and 58th in The International Series Rankings — enough to keep fighting, not enough to relax.
“Obviously, if I play well enough, I’ve still got the opportunity to get one of those spots. It’s all about performance. There is no saying that I can’t play well enough in the next year or two, to try and get a promotion up there. I’m confident anyway, I work hard at my game, and all the things I do.”
In short: Hend sees this Singapore Open not just as a week to cash in, but as a week to climb, qualify and re-assert.
Testing himself against the younger generation
Last weekend in Hong Kong, Hend measured himself against the rising stars — including the 22-year-old Tom McKibbin from Northern Ireland, a LIV Golf player who blitzed the field to victory. Hend went into the final round within touching distance, but the gear-change of youth proved too sharp. McKibbin set a new course record of 60 and ran away with it.
“He’s a great player, a really solid young player. And the funny part was, his friends were saying to me on Saturday night, ‘you’ve got a chance to win on Sunday’. Against McKibbin? They said ‘yes, he’s never won around here before’. Come on, he shot 10 under first round, he’s a golfer.”
Hend may have finished T6, but the performance affirmed that he’s still right there — still swinging, still contending. The only thing missing: a bit of finishing flourish.
Age is just a number — but the flatstick remains the battleground
Hend is unwavering about his physical condition. He says he still has the same drive he had when he was 19. But he’s honest about one nagging issue: putting.
“I played well,” he reflected. “But the problem was, I think I had 30 putts, and I’m shooting five or six under. My playing partners were having 24 to 25 putts, and they’re shooting four under. So I am obviously hitting it great. I am actually putting it well also, I just need to convert.
“I have just had a bit of a struggle actually trying to get the ball in the hole. I’ve hit all different parts of the hole… I was like, sooner or later, things are going to change around, right? So I’m still waiting for my good week.”
He even made light of the inevitable: “Maybe it is my eyes that are changing because I’m getting old, but the rest of the game, the mechanics and everything, it’s fine and just a case of being patient.”
In golf there is no use-by date — and Hend refuses to acknowledge one.
Final word
As the Singapore Open unfolds, Scott Hend carries with him the weight of history and the hunger of a contender. The money list chase adds texture. The LIV Golf spots add urgency. But fundamentally, this is still a golfer who wants to win. He’s not content with being part of the conversation; he wants to close the deal.
Expect him to tee off in Singapore with focus, aggression, and respect for the past — but with his eyes firmly on the prize.
