Scott Hend grabs first-round lead at Trophy Hassan II

Australian Scott Hend birdied his final two holes en route to a 7-under 66 in the opening round of the 50th edition of the Trophy Hassan II in Morocco and will take a one-shot lead into Friday’s second round of the 54-hole event.

Scott Hend, 32-34 – 66 (-7)

• Fifty-two-year-old ties his low opening-round score on PGA TOUR Champions with a 7-under 66, matching a 6-under 66 recorded at this year’s Regions Tradition
• Seeks to become the third first-time winner on PGA TOUR Champions this season after Zach Johnson (James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational), Boo Weekley (Insperity Invitational)
• Looks to become the fourth straight international winner of the Trophy Hassan II in its Champions Tour era, and the first Australian to win in the event’s 50-year history
  • Stephen Ames (2023/Canada), Ricardo Gonzalez (2024/Argentina), Miguel Ángel Jiménez (2025/Spain)
• Marks his first time leading/co-leading after Round 1 in a PGA TOUR Champions event (previous best 18-hole position: T3/2026 Regions Tradition)
• Stephen Ames (2023) is the only first-round leader to win the Trophy Hassan II in the Champions Tour era of the event
• Making his 12th career start on PGA TOUR Champions and third of the 2026 season, where he has notched T3 and runner-up finishes at the Senior PGA Championship and Regions Tradition, respectively
• Recorded 86 starts on the PGA TOUR, where he was a member in 2004-2005; posted a career-best solo-third at the 2004 AT&T Classic, finishing two shots shy of Zach Johnson
• Owns three career wins on the DP World Tour, as well as three on the Staysure Legends Tour, including two during the 2025 season; finished first on the Legends Tour’s Order of Merit in 2025

Tommy Gainey, 33-34 – 67 (-6)

• Fifty-year-old enters the week at No. 11 in the Charles Schwab Cup with three top-10 finishes, including a season-best T3 at the Cologuard Classic
• Seeks his second career victory on PGA TOUR Champions after winning the Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS in 2025, where he became just the 23rd player all-time with a win on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Korn Ferry Tour
  • Number of wins by Tour: PGA TOUR (one), PGA TOUR Champions (one), Korn Ferry Tour (three)
• With the Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS victory, became the 15th open qualifier to win on PGA TOUR Champions and first since Dicky Pride at the 2021 Mitsubishi Electric Classic
• Made 247 career starts on the PGA TOUR, securing his only win at the 2012 RSM Classic
• Looks to become the fourth player this season to record a win in 2025 and 2026: Stewart Cink, Steven Alker and Retief Goosen
• Seeks to become the first American winner of the Trophy Hassan II since Erik Compton in 2005

Other notes

• Cameron Percy (third) posts a bogey-free 68 to sit two shots back of Hend
  • Seeks his first Champions Tour win in his 47th start after recording three runner-up finishes during the 2025 season: Principal Charity Classic, Stifel Charity Classic, Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS
  • Making his seventh start of the year on PGA TOUR Champions, with a season-best T10 coming at the Hoag Classic
  • Owns one career win on the Korn Ferry Tour and posted a career-best runner-up on the PGA TOUR at the 2010 Shriners Children’s Open, where he lost on the fourth hole of a playoff when Jonathan Byrd recorded a hole-in-one
• Matt Gogel (fourth) recorded a 4-under 69 in his tournament debut at the Trophy Hassan II
  • Making his 83rd career start on PGA TOUR Champions, looking to improve upon a career-best T3 at the 2025 Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS
  • Lone win on the PGA TOUR came at the 2002 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am; owns six career victories on the Korn Ferry Tour.
• Four players sit T5 at 3 under, including George McNeill, Felipe Aguilar, Søren Kjeldsen and Darren Fichardt
• Defending champion Miguel Ángel Jiménez opens with a 4-over 77 (T42)
• Due to course routing, players were paired in threesomes off of Nos. 1 and 8 tees