Hendry qualified for the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool but was forced to withdraw when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia last April.

Entering the third round of the Webex Players Series Murray River played in honour of Jarrod Lyle just one shot off the lead on Saturday, Hendry has spoken publicly for the first time about his latest results and the exemption issued by the R&A to take his place in the field for The Open at Royal Troon in July.

After a six-month fight for his life, Hendry’s return to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia last October has been punctuated by trips back to New Zealand for biopsies. A phone call while on holiday with his family over Christmas has given him renewed hope that he is winning the battle.

“Prior to getting that news, I was expecting to have to get a bone marrow transplant. Thinking about whether it was going to work, how long have I got,” said Hendry, who was told that no cancer cells were visible in his latest biopsy.

“You get that news and then all of a sudden it’s, shit, maybe I can think about two, three, five, 10 years down the track and where I want to be.

“I don’t want to speak too soon but things are looking really positive.”

“I would’ve loved to have played this year but my goal is to be there again.”

Privilege to be able to share an update on Michael Hendry's cancer battle ahead of @TheOpen for which he qualified to play in.@PGAofAustralia @GolfAust @golfnewzealand_ https://t.co/erUAZJUPeN

— Tony Webeck (@TonyWebeck) July 18, 2023

The significance of playing his way into contention on the eve of ‘Yellow Day’ at Cobram Barooga Golf Club with a second round of 5-under 66 is not lost on Hendry.

He trails Victorian pair Andrew Martin and Andrew Kelly by just one shot and is tied with fellow Kiwi Kazuma Kobori and Japan’s Kotono Fukaya.

Lamenting that he didn’t have anything yellow to wear, Hendry wants to add to the legacy of Jarrod Lyle that is celebrated regularly within Australian golf.

Born in Shepparton less than an hour from Cobram Barooga, Lyle was first diagnosed with leukaemia as a teenager.

His gregarious personality and ongoing fight endeared him to the golf world, defying the odds to play his way onto the PGA TOUR before passing in 2018 at age 36.

Hendry now has a unique perspective of the enormity of what Lyle was able to achieve.

“No one knows what Jarrod went through more than I do,” Hendry adds.

“Jarrod struggled through it and it kind of never went away. I’ve been fortunate that at this point it has gone away. Hopefully it will stay that way for my sake.

“I’m acutely aware of what Jarrod went through and to do what he did while he was alive and suffering, I know how hard that would have been for him.

“I know people are acutely aware of what he did but maybe they don’t appreciate just how hard it actually was for him.

“I don’t want to take anything away from Jarrod’s legacy but if I could add to his legacy by telling a story as well and being able to relate it back to what Jarrod went through, that would be a really cool thing.”

Photo: Candice High