SCOTT HEND knew he held the fate of the US$1 million Venetian Macao Open in his hands as he carried a three-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round.

    So the game plan was simple.

    “One foot in front of the other, one shot at a time,” said Hend.

    Hend, who will be defending his UBS Hong Kong Open title this week, signed for a tournament record 20-under par 264 after a final-round, five-under 66 that saw him also become just the second two-time winner of the event over its 17 editions, following Zhang Lianwei’s back-to-back victories in 2001-2002.

    “I tried to make the best choices I possibly could and not put any pressure on myself,” said the 42-year-old Hend, who won the tournament in 2013.

    “To go bogey free and win is very satisfying.”

    Last year, Hend had also led the field while turning for home. However, he lost the lead and then had a chance to force a play-off with Lahiri on the last but bogeyed to hand the Indian the title.

    With last year’s near-miss still rankling, Hend said he was determined not to give Lahiri “a sniff” this time around.

    Hend will face a star-studded field, including England’s Justin Rose and American Dustin Johnson in Hong Kong.  (SD-Agencies)