(Reuters) – Big-hitting Australian Scott Hend overcame a two-shot deficit to win the Queen’s Cup in Thailand by a stroke on Sunday for his ninth title on the Asian Tour.
Hend carded a final-round four-under-par 67 for a total of 15-under 269 to finish ahead of home talent Gunn Charoenkul, who hit a bogey-free 66 on Sunday.
Overnight leader Prom Meesawat could only manage a 72 in the final round which gave him a share of the third spot at the Santiburi Samui Country Club in the Koh Samui island.
“I lost the tournament in Wentworth, lost the tournament in Mauritius and had chances in China. That’s four times this year and I didn’t win,” Hend said after his second title in the year. “Whether this was my golf course or not, I’ve been playing very good golf and trying to not get down on myself. It’s nice to win again.”
Sunday’s win might push Hend closer to qualification for the Olympics in Rio, where golf will return for the first time after 1904.
“There are three more weeks for the Olympic qualifying,” said Hend, currently ranked 87th in the world. “I’m 43 this year, who knows how much longer (I can play) although I’m getting better with age. “It’ll be nice to go the Olympics and be one of the first Australians to play in it since golf’s re-inclusion.
“It’s all these different things that you chalk up in your career and when you’re finished, you just sit back and say this is what I did.”
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai,; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Reuters
