Perfect Autumn weather greeted competitors on the fairways of this year’s Venetian Macau Open, held last month at the Macau Golf and Country club.
This year’s event boasted a total prize fund of US$800,000, an increase of 6.7 percent compared to last year, and it was Australian
Scott Hend who picked up the champion’s cheque of US$144,000, after achieving his third win of this season.
Hend won by a comfortable three strokes, followed by India’s Anirban Lahiri who matched the course record with an impressive nine-under-par 62 for second place. Four-time Major champion Ernie Els of South Africa shared third spot with Elmer Salvador of the Philippines after a 67 and 66 respectively.
Hend started poorly after opening his week with 74 and then going head-to-head with Els over three rounds.
“Thursday was a difficult day, mentally and physically. Then on Friday and Saturday, I started holing putts. Ernie is one of the best players in the world. I had my own goals and targets and I achieved my goal, which was to stay patient, patient, patient”.
Els, who turned 44 the week of the tournament, applied the pressure early on with birdies on two, three and six, but a bogey on nine halted his momentum.
“It was very frustrating. I started off nicely again and then made a soft bogey on nine. I couldn’t afford any mistakes. I needed to keep the pedal on the metal but I made that mistake and I didn’t play the back nine all that well either. I had four shots to make up and four shots is a lot to make up especially with the caliber of Scott. He deserved to win,” said Els, who was making his debut at the Venetian Macau Open.
Jointly organised by Macau Sport Development Board of Macau SAR Government (MSDB) and Golf Association of Macau, the tournament is sanctioned by the latter and the Asian Tour, and promoted by IMG. Since its inauguration in 1998, the tournament has been graced by the presence of some of the best golfers the world has ever seen, including Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo, Padraig Harrington, Fred Couples, Ian Woosnam and Mark O’Meara.
