The only Aussie in action on a world tour this week at the European Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, Hend intends to play every event he can before we close the book on one of history’s most challenging years.

The 2016 Olympian needs to string together strong showings this week and next to play his way into the top-70 for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai but given the uncertainty surrounding tournament entries Hend is leaving nothing to chance.

For many Aussies playing opportunities have been few and far between in 2020 and while the likes of Wade Ormsby, Lucas Herbert, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and Adam Scott cashed in early, others have had their careers put on hold.

“I’m really frustrated for the Aussie guys who play on the Asian Tour and I’m frustrated for the Asian Tour players,” said Hend, a 10-time winner on the Asian Tour.

“My biggest concern going back to April was always around how guys just starting their careers were going to be able to survive.

“Not being able to play because of the shutdown has sent some guys into a position where they were already sacrificing to come out and try and start their career. This has probably stopped some from becoming a professional golfer.

“There’s always a point in your career where it’s make or break. You give it up or you keep striving hard to go on and having a whole year with nothing to play is heartbreaking for some guys.

“You may not see some guys back out playing and that’s frustrating to say the least.

“I just hope that we can sort something out with tournaments everywhere because even sponsors are finding it hard to get a dollar together for some of these tournaments.

“I’m quite secure in my job but I worry about these other young Aussie guys and the Asian Tour guys who haven’t got the opportunity to play.

“I just don’t know how it’s going to unfold for those boys.”

Arguably the most travelled golfer for the past decade with 310 events around the globe since 2010, the disruption to the European Tour and virtual cancellation of the Asian Tour since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for Hend to produce his best golf.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hendy (@hendygolf69)

The 47-year-old has played in excess of 30 events in each of the past five years but has teed it up in only 18 events to date in 2020.

Towards the end of the European Tour’s UK bubble Hend logged a tie for 11th at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and was top 10 two weeks later at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, evidence that the more he plays the better the results.

“It’s been tough for me because I haven’t played as many weeks in a row as I want,” said Hend, currently 99th in the Race to Dubai rankings.

“Usually I have a busy playing schedule and that’s how I play my best golf but it’s been very stop-start all year.

“I usually try and stay away from where all the players and caddies stay so that’s been another challenge, being inside the bubble. Having to have dinner at a certain time to conform with all the protocols we had to be able to play.

“All the little things add up after a while.

“Overall it’s been quite a poor year for results for myself but it’s been quite a poor year for a lot of things because of the situation.”

Despite conceding that his family’s inability to travel with him in 2020 has exacerbated the situation, Hend is adamant that any sacrifice is worth the effort, and hopes to end a year like no other with positive momentum to take into 2021.

“It’s always worth it. It doesn’t matter what the requirements are it’s always worth it,” said Hend, who took the opportunity to see the lions and rhinos of Kruger National Park adjacent to the host course earlier this week.

“It’s just how much you can sustain in your own levels of frustration and build-up.

“Some guys can handle it, some guys can’t.

“A good result this week or next week would go a long way to getting in (to the DP World Tour Championship). We’ve just got to sit back and see how many guys have decided they’re not going to come and play. The field is very up in the air.

“It would be lovely to play it but it’s not the be-all and end-all.”

Round 1 tee times (AEDT)

European Tour
Alfred Dunhill Championship
Leopard Creek Country Club, Malelane, South Africa
9.40pm Scott Hend, Steven Brown, Keenan Davidse

Defending champion: Pablo Larrazabal
Past Aussie winners: Adam Scott (2001)
TV schedule: Live 9pm-2am Thursday, Friday; Live 9pm-1.30am Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503.