Scott Hend hasn’t played his best in his first two events as a full European Tour member but if past results are an indication that could change at this week’s Dubai Desert Classic.

Hend has teed up on three previous occasions at this event and shot over par only once when a first round 77 saw him miss the cut in 2010.He

 had a share of second place after an opening 67 in 2008 when he went on to finish T14 and finished 8-under for the week and T29 last year.

The Queenslander thrives on confidence and if he can make a solid start this week is likely to keep the momentum going on a course where he seems comfortable.

Hend is joined in the field this week by Brett Rumford, Wade Ormsby and Richard Green who has a chequered history in Dubai to say the last.

The left hander won the event in fine style for his first Tour win in 1997, grabbing the headlines as he outplayed both Greg Norman and 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam in a playoff to take the title.

However, it has been a mixed bag since with seven missed cuts against only one other top-10 in the 18 years that followed.

Having missed the cut in each of the last four years history suggests Green is an unlikely contender this week but his form has been decent to start the year and he may end that poor run come Sunday.

Brett Rumford and Wade Ormsby have less than stellar records in Dubai though in fairness Ormsby hasn’t teed up here since finishing at the tail end of the field in 2006.

The South Australian showed plenty of determination to overcome an opening round 74 last week to make the cut in Qatar but a closing 79 is cause for concern as he tees up against one of the European Tour’s stronger fields of the year.

For Rumford a T13 here last year is his best result in 11 tries and while his game is improving after a difficult 2014 it is not yet in top shape in 2015.