Scott Hend has advanced to the third leg of the Race to Dubai Finals Series thanks to some stellar play at the WGC-HSBC Champions event in China at the weekend.

Hend entered the final round in China inside the top 10 but despite a disappointing final round 73 earned enough points to jump to 64^th on the Race to Dubai standings and grab the last available spot for this week’s BMW Masters.

It’s an impressive result for the big hitting Queenslander who is playing his rookie year on the European Tour and now has a chance to play his way into the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

With three rounds in the 60’s at Sheshan International Golf Club Hend looked likely to take top Australian honours for the week but some good play from Marc Leishman, and Hend’s own Sunday stumbles, relegated him to second in that race.

Leishman fired an impressive 4-under-par 68 on Sunday to move from two behind Hend to three in front and finish T11 to Hend’s T19.

The 10 strong Australian contingent found the going tough in Shanghai, Adam Scott the biggest surprise after his brilliant finish in Malaysia a week ago.

Coming off a final round 63 at the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur, many expected the 2013 Masters champion to be the man to beat this week but he got off to a poor start and never really recovered.

After making the turn 2-under in his first round Scott inexplicably imploded, five shots dropped in the space of six holes to start his second nine saw him sign for an eventual 75.

Things looked back on track early in round two when four birdies again saw him turn 2-under but three double bogies on the back nine meant a 76 and his chances all but gone.

With less erratic scoring over the final two days Scott negotiated the weekend in 2-under but finishing 70^th in a 78 man field is not the tune up he was seeking leading into the Australian summer.

Matt Jones and Steven Bowditch were next best of the Australians behind Leishman and Hend, both sharing 40^th position at 6-under for the week.

It was a mixed bag for Bowditch in particular, an opening8-under-par 64 putting him in a share of second but the hard work undone with a Friday 75.

The pattern continued over the weekend with scores of 68-75only enough for a mid-field finish.

Nick Cullen and Greg Chalmers both finished at even par for the week and T58 while Cameron Smith (T64), Andrew Dodt (T68) and Steven Jeffress (75^th) never really got going.