If Scott Hend can’t straighten out his putter tomorrow, he’s thinking of becoming a tomato farmer.
The “mega frustrated” (“write that because I really can’t put on your tape what I want to say’’) Hend was so baffled by the ongoing disappearance of his putting stroke that he’s considering all options.
A two-over-par 74 compounded by a pair of closing bogeys left the jovial Queenslander completely stunned despite hitting the ball “well enough to be right up there”.
“I’m driving it good, hitting good irons, just not a hint of one putt. I haven’t holed putts for weeks and I’m still not holing putts – and if you don’t hole putts, you can’t play good golf.
“It’s going to go one way or another (tomorrow) – I’m either going to play good golf or I’m going to start a tomato farm. I’ve got 14 stakes in the bag and all I need is a bit of real estate.”
Hend had his round to one under after a birdie on the 12th hole, then frittered away his chance with the flat stick despite playing some of the field’s better long irons in trying afternoon wind.
“It’s just so disappointing,” said Hend, who’s playing his second Open, but first since 2005 when he missed the cut here at St Andrews – a course he said had no bearing on his scoring issue.
“I’ve been playing really well for weeks, but just can’t get a score on the board.
“It doesn’t matter what course it is at the minute – I’m hitting lips, and it’s just not getting to the bottom of the cup.
“It was really close (to good) again today, then all of a sudden I walk off with bogey-bogey finish and the score reflects that I’ve had a shocker.”
But the veteran vowed not to let the frustration get the better of him.
“I’ll just do what I always do and turn up and give it a crack. They’ve got to start dropping at some stage.”