Aussie of the month: Scott Hend
Scott Hend isn’t afraid of air travel. In his long career, the veteran touring pro has flown across the world on a whim wherever a start has popped up, yet in his post-50 career, the close geography of the PGA Tour Champions in America still holds high appeal for the Florida-based Queenslander.
So it comes with a touch of irony that Hend finally broke through for his maiden PGA Tour Champions victory in Morocco, of all places. The 52-year-old won the circuit’s annual stop in Africa’s north – the Trophy Hassan II – by five shots in late May, securing status on the increasingly closed over-50s tour until the end of next year.
Hend’s 19th career title gives him triumphs on six different circuits: the DP World Tour, Asian Tour, Canadian Tour, Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, European Legends Tour and PGA Tour Champions.
“It means the world to me,” Hend said of his Champions tour status. “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.”
While he now has a set schedule closer to home, Hend admitted that it is unlikely to stop his globe-trotting ways. “I’m an ironman, I love it. I love golf, I love playing golf. Golf is me – I’m golf,” he said.
Bogey of the month: Less of Moore is no gain
July 1 marks a sad day for Sydney’s Moore Park Golf Course as it begins its specious transformation into a 12-hole layout. We say “specious” because New South Wales premier Chris Minns and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore are galloping unhesitatingly down their chosen path despite mounting evidence that they’re traversing the wrong route.
We’ve detailed this saga on our website from the outset, including the roller-coaster of political bluster and how the number of holes tabled to remain has varied throughout. Ultimately, as we reach July, it’s disappointing to accept that an 11th-hour dose of common sense feels unlikely.
“For Sydney public golf, the permanent loss of six holes still represents a major reduction in capacity at one of the busiest public-access courses in the country,” Jared Kendler, vice-president of Moore Park Golf Club, told aussiegolfer.com.au
in early June.
It’s worth noting that, on May 31 and mere kilometres away, the redesigned Chatswood Golf Club layout reopened for play, boasting a renovated 12-hole layout where there was previously a cramped 18. Yet secluded Chatswood is a world away from the ever-busy Moore Park.
“Moore Park is really a story about planning failure and political deal-making between the [NSW] Government and Clover Moore after decades of density approvals without enough local recreation space,” Kendler says.
Golfers in the news
Trav’s payday: Sydneysider Travis Smyth converted a fortuitous break into a hefty payday at LIV Golf Korea. A late call-up for the injured Paul Casey, Smyth’s elevation from wildcard player to Crushers GC member in South Korea saw him take a quarter-share of the victorious team’s $US3 million haul, while a tie for eighth individually gave Smyth a collect of nearly $US1.2 million.
King’s quartet: Four members of the Australian golf community were recognised in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours. PGA professional Nicholas McCormack OAM led the golf recipients, receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia in the general division for service to golf. He was joined by Carmel Smith AM, Ian Hannah AM and Diana McLaurin AM, who were each appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the general division for service to golf and the broader community.
Members to remember: Former tour icons and major-championship contenders Bruce Crampton and Bruce Devlin joined West Australian stalwart Rob Farley in receiving life membership to the PGA of Australia.
Three makes six: Geoff Nicholas claimed a third straight Australian Amputee Open title, making it six in total in a decorated career.
Good Wood: Hervey Bay professional Lachlan Wood [above] sealed the Standing 3 Class while finishing third overall at the G4D Open at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales.
Stepping up: Industry veteran Dayle Marshall became only the second female general manager of a Melbourne Sandbelt club when she accepted the top job at Metropolitan Golf Club, joining Andrea Watson (Yarra Yarra in 2020).
Trophy at 10: Ten-year-old Narsha Solomon took out the women’s A grade club championship at Queensland’s Pacific Harbour Golf & Country Club, sparking debate over whether she is the youngest ever open club champion in Australian golf.
UK bound: The PGA of Australia team of Grace Lennon (Melbourne Golf Park), Danni Vasquez-Boyd (Royal Canberra), Katelyn Must (Maroochy River), Sienna Voglis (cluBarham) and Nicole Martino (Wembley Golf Complex) will represent the PGA of Australia at the Women’s PGA Cup in England this September.
Loss of a legend: Much-loved and respected club pro Brian Twite passed away on June 9 at age 99. Best known for this time as the head professional at Melbourne’s Metropolitan Golf Club, Twite also contested the 1951 Open Championship a year before migrating to Australia.
Aces in threes: Darren McCallum either owes or has received a lot of drinks lately. The 11-handicapper recently scored three holes-in-one in a three-week period, one at each of Ocean Grove, Bannockburn and The Sands Torquay golf courses in Victoria.
Tin to sim: “Tin Cup” star Kevin Costner couldn’t resist his golf urges while filming “Honeymoon With Harry” in Brisbane, frequently venturing to X-Golf in South Bank to hit balls during his eight-week stay.
(Potential) Birdie of the month: Short memories?
Golfers are often compelled to have short memories to erase the spectre of poor shots, but in the case of Golf Australia and the PGA Tour of Australasia, their memory of our history with the PGA Tour might be a touch too short. It wasn’t so long ago that the American circuit, with its never-ending, ‘wraparound’ schedule, seemed to consume every week. Our tour suffered; other tours suffered. Yet now our two key bodies are welcoming the PGA Tour with open arms as part of a joint bid (along with the DP World Tour) to “elevate” the Australian Open.
However, let’s not be too quick to jump to conclusions. The PGA Tour’s impact on our national championship won’t be fully revealed until this year’s event in December and won’t be felt until next year’s edition anyway. Key personnel have also changed at the top of the PGA Tour, so perhaps we should be viewing this as an olive branch. Perhaps…
The real proof in this particular pudding will be how much prizemoney is injected into the purse and the calibre of players the PGA Tour can persuade to travel to the other side of the world at the end of a long year. If the deal brings us Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa, great. However, if it delivers Sam Ryder and Chandler Phillips, forgive us if we view this latest arrangement as mere window dressing.
Photographs by Getty Images/Octavio Passos, Oisin Keniry, SOPA Images
