New Zealand golfer Michael Hendry has successfully battled his leukaemia diagnosis, and now he has put himself back in contention for a potential victory at The Crowns.
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The 44-year-old fired a superb six-under-par 64 to land himself tied for second and just two shots back of Tatsunori Shogenji at the halfway stage at Nagoya Golf Club’s Wago Course
Hendry chalked up six birdies against no bogey to move to eight-under 132, placing him as the highest-placed international in the 105-man leaderboard.
The Crowns marked Hendry’s only third start on the JGTO in the past 13 months.
Last year, he only completed a tournament at the Token Homemate Cup, where he finished tied for 11th.
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It was after that season-opening leg that he found out he was suffering from blood cancer. During that period, golf took a backseat as he focused on undergoing treatment and recovery.
He eventually made his competitive return in November and played several tournaments in Australia.
Hendry returned to Japan in March and featured in the Token Homemate Cup, a tournament which won him his first JGTO breakthrough back in 2015.
Hendry said he felt very grateful just to be back competing, saying that his perspective has changed.
“Last year was really tough and challenging, but this year, I’m just focusing on enjoying the rounds,” said Hendry.
“I’m grateful to be back. My mindset has changed from before, focusing on enjoying.
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“I’m grateful to be in this environment. It’s not something to take for granted, so even if I hit a bad shot, I want to be grateful for everything.”
Regarding his chances of winning a second JGTO title, Hendry said his main focus is just to enjoy himself on the course.
“I’m aiming to just enjoy without worrying about anything. If I’m healthy and can play, I think I can win, so I want to focus on that,” he said.
Shogenji scorched the Wago Course with a brilliant round featuring 10 birdies and one bogey to storm to the top of the standings.
With this fine start, the 25-year-old will be looking to build on it and make up for the disappointment after finishing runner-up at the Token Homemate Cup in March.
Overnight leader Hideto Tanihara could only muster a 70 to slip to tied fifth on 134.
