My concentration was wavering a little bit. When I hit the putt, I thought I'd holed it, but it lipped out. But it was a pretty big week for me
Scott Hend
The memory is still fresh for Scott Hend, and so is the pain.
For one fleeting second on the final hole of last year's Venetian Macao Open, the Australian thought his putt was going to fall for a par, thereby forcing a play-off with Indian Anirban Lahiri, and that his dream of a repeat win in the event would remain alive.
But fate - and the ball - took a different track as the shot lipped out and the 42-year-old settled for a tie for second with Thailand's Prom Meesawat, a stroke behind Lahiri, who won the title with a 17-under 267.
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Hend on Wednesday announced he would be back trying to right that wrong at the Macau Golf & Country Club from October 15-18, as a US$1 million purse has ensured Lahiri will return, too - following his fifth-place finish in Sunday's US PGA Championship - alongside four-time major winner Ernie Els of South Africa.
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"Coming to the last few holes, I had just run out of energy," said Hend, who had come to Macau last year having won the Hong Kong Open the previous week.
South African Ernie Els will be another draw card at this year's Macao Open. Photo: AP
"My concentration was wavering a little bit. When I hit the putt, I thought I'd holed it, but it lipped out. But it was a pretty big week for me."
