Australian Scott Hend is off to another strong start on the PGA Tour Champions, shooting a 7-under-par 66 to take the first-round lead at the Trophy Hassan II on Thursday in Rabat, Morocco.

Hend finished the front nine at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam with four straight birdies after holing a birdie at No. 1, then kicked in three more on the back nine. He’ll take a one-shot lead over Tommy Gainey into Friday.

Hend, 52, is making a name for himself on the senior circuit. A winner everywhere from the European and Asian tours to Canada and his native Australia, Hend has racked up three titles since joining the European Senior Tour.

He played in the first two senior majors of the season and immediately contended; he tied for third at the Senior PGA Championship and placed second at the Regions Tradition.

“I went to play an Asian Tour event in Taiwan (after the Tradition) because obviously I’m not fully exempt out here just yet, have to wait till next year to get the opportunity to play every week,” Hend said. “Trying to keep my game sharp to compete against these guys.”

Hend said the course in Morocco feels like home.

“It reminds me a lot of playing in New South Wales and in Queensland where I’ve got a house. It’s very similar trees, very similar grass. Everything really suits my eye, so I really enjoy it.”

Gainey had seven birdies and was bogey-free till the very last hole, making a 6 on the par-5 18th. Still, the player nicknamed “Two Gloves” is nice position to contend for his second PGA Tour Champions title one week after Englishman Aaron Rai — who’s also one of the few professional golfers to wear gloves on both hands — captured the PGA Championship.

“Everything felt good except for the iron game because it was my second time hitting ‘em … and the first time in tournament play hitting these irons,” Gainey said of a recent equipment change. “So there’s a little bit of unknown there. I mean, how they going to react, how far are they going to go, are they going to spin, are they going to go high, are they going to go low. I mean, just a lot of different things that I had to work out with these irons. But they worked well today.”

Australia’s Cameron Percy is alone in third at 5-under 68, and Matt Gogel holds fourth after a 4-under 69. Defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain struggled to a 4-over 77.

–Field Level Media