While the “these guys are good” slogan has been replaced on the PGA Tour, the motto rings true for professional golf on nearly every circuit as Australia’s Scott Hend personified during his third round at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia.
Reaching 10-under par through 35 holes at Saujana Golf & Country Club, Hend found himself in a spot of bother after hitting his second shot into some trees on the par-5 18th hole.
Hend had a clear shot to the green, but a pin position was out of reach given he would need to hit a low shot to escape the trees. That’s when skill, ingenuity, opportunity and preparation kicked in.
Hend and his caddie figured they had 130 yards to the hole, so they pulled their 150 club and played a low screamer off of the grandstands behind the green.
He meant that! Off the backboard.
Amazing creativity from @hendygolf. pic.twitter.com/MNlxGl1BS5
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) March 23, 2019
Hend pulled the shot off beautifully, banking it off the grandstand and onto the green some 30 feet for birdie. He would two-putt for par and post 10-under par for the tournament to take the lead into the final round.
While the announcers questioned whether or not the bank shot was intentional, Hend confirmed after the round on social media that he had indeed pulled off the shot he was attempting.
Played that way…. 121m to base of grandstand….. play a 140m shot low into the boards and see if it will bounce back…. ??♂️??♂️??♂️ seemed to work out ok. My caddie bounced many balls off the stand testing the bounce during practice.
— Scott Hend (@hendygolf) March 23, 2019
Hend would go on to shoot a Sunday 67, matching his score from Saturday, to emerge victorious on the first playoff hole over Spain’s Nacho Elvira.
