26 Sep 2020 | Professional golf |
Hend chases Irish Open crown
by Martin Blake
Scott Hend had a rough time at the US Open but he's pushing hard at the Irish Open on the European Tour this week.
Queenslander Hend, who missed the cut at Winged Foot after a second-round 84, battled difficult conditions at Galgorm Resort in Northern Ireland yesterday to card a 69 to go with his opening 68.
He is tied-fifth at three-under par, just two shots back from the lead held by England's Aaron Rai at five-under.
Play was suspended because of darkness late in the day and delayed in the morning because of frost at the course in Ballymena. A 66 by Sweden's Joakim Lagergren was the low number of the day. Hend, 47, has won three times on the European Tour and represented Australia at golf's return to the Olympic Games in 2016. Meanwhile a bunch of Australians are prominent in Northern Ireland, with Queenslander Maverick Antcliff sitting at three-under through 10 holes of his second round, and Victorian Lucas Herbert roaring up to 12th with his second-round 67. IN THE Dominican Republic, Victorian Cameron Percy is the leading Australian at the PGA Tour's Corales Championship. Percy, the 46-year-old veteran having one of his best runs of form, shot a second-round 70 to be tied-15th at the halfway mark. He is five shots off the lead.