World No.132 Australian Scott Hend flirted with the lead at the lucrative World Golf Championship in Miami only to get bitten by the Blue Monster late in the second round.
Starting on the back nine the Queenslander opened with two birdies in his first three holes of the second round to be one of a few players in red numbers on a wild and windy day at Trump National Doral.
It lifted him as high as just one shot off the pace and while he stalled slightly with a bogey on the 15th, his sixth of the day, he made the turn at one-under for the week and had only six golfers in front of him.
Unfortunately for the five-time Asian Tour winner the front side of the course was not as kind.
He double bogeyed the second and seventh holes and added a bogey on the third to card a four-over 76 dropping him back to a tie for 21st at four-over 148.
“The front nine is a bit tough and it was obviously windy out there. I had a bit of bad luck, hit some bad shots and they don’t mix too well,” the 40-year-old Hend said.
“It is a bit disappointing to play like that but I just have to remember everyone was struggling I guess.”
Hend joins world No.2 Adam Scott as the leading Australian, five shots off the lead, so he still has a chance for what would easily be the biggest win of his journeyman career.
The champion at Doral collects $US1.53million of a $US9million purse along with other perks including a three-year exemption on the US tour and a ticket to the Masters.
“I just approach it the same as every tournament and play the best I can,” he said.
“Just because it’s worth nine million, instead of $US500,000 doesn’t mean anything.
“I still think I have a chance to win and need to put one foot in front of the other.
“We will see what happens on the weekend and hopefully I can throw a couple of low ones out there.”