Scott Hend Wins Morocco Thriller for First Champions Title

Scott Hend just turned Morocco into a career-changing moment.

The 52-year-old Australian captured his first PGA TOUR Champions title at the 50th Trophy Hassan II, finishing 15-under after rounds of 66, 69 and 69.

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It wasn’t just a win. It was a full status flip. Hend is now exempt on PGA TOUR Champions through the 2027 season and has punched his way into the 2027 and 2028 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.

That’s a pretty sweet reward for a guy who entered the week still chasing his first senior tour breakthrough.

The tournament flipped hard on the par-3 ninth hole Sunday. Hend was two shots behind Tommy Gainey with 10 holes left, but one swing sequence changed everything. Hend made birdie.

Gainey made double bogey. Just like that, a two-shot deficit became the lead, and Hend never gave it back.

Cold-blooded stuff.

Hend’s win also launched him from No. 14 to No. 5 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, putting him right in the thick of the season-long race. He became the third first-time winner on PGA TOUR Champions this season, joining Zach Johnson and Boo Weekley.

It also continued the international takeover at Trophy Hassan II. Hend became the fourth straight international champion in the event’s Champions Tour era, following Stephen Ames, Ricardo Gonzalez and Miguel Ángel Jiménez. He’s also the first Australian to win the event in its 50-year history.

This didn’t come out of nowhere, either. Hend owns three DP World Tour victories and three Staysure Legends Tour wins, including two in 2025. He earned his Trophy Hassan II spot by finishing first on the Legends Tour Order of Merit.

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Gainey still tied for second after the costly ninth-hole double, alongside Steven Alker, who closed with a 68 and moved to No. 4 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. Ernie Els rallied from an opening 74 to finish tied for fourth.

But this week belonged to Hend. One hole cracked the tournament open. Hend kicked the door down.

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