With one of the best rounds of the day on Sunday, Scott Hend marched up the leaderboard to claim Australasian bragging rights at the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi Championship.

The veteran Queenslander posted his third consecutive round of 3-under 69 on Sunday, a score bettered by only seven players, and finished T22 at 10-under for the week.

The result is Hend’s best at the tournament in four attempts and came on the back of some consistent golf with just six dropped shots for the week.

Hend was one of four Australasians to qualify for the weekend, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox and Lismore’s Sam Brazel next best at 7-under for the week.

Brazel made a brilliant start to the tournament with an opening 67 to share third place and backed up with 68 to book a third round tee time with four-time major winner Rory McIlroy.

The Northern Irishman produced plenty of fireworks Saturday with a 65 but Brazel held his own with a steady 2-under 70.

However, he struggled in the final round with a 76 to slip down the standings in his first event of 2018.

Jason Scrivener was the last of the Australasians to make the cut but he too battled on Sunday with a 75 dropping him 27 places down the leaderboard to T48.

Jason Norris, Wade Ormsby and Andrew Dodt all missed the cut.