Golfer Michael Hendry defies battle with leukaemia to stay in contention at Australian PGA at Royal Queensland
- The Kiwi golfer was diagnosed with leukemia in April
- Michael Hendry, 44, requires ongoing treatment
- In contention at Royal Queensland’s Australian PGA
Michael Hendry has endured the lingering pain of bone marrow treatment to move from below the cutline to the top page of the Australian PGA rankings.
The New Zealand veteran thought he had missed the cut at Royal Queensland as he walked away level on Friday.
But the bogeys in the final groups dropped the line by a shot, allowing Hendry to sneak in before carding a bogey-free 64 to move to seven under on Saturday.
Hendry was in the top 10 and just five shots off the lead when he walked off the course.
‘I managed to make a bad par [on the 18th] and when I walked away I thought that was it for the weekend,” he said after a flawless third round.
Kiwi star Michael Hendry endured the lingering pain of bone marrow treatment for leukemia to survive the cut on day three of the Australian PGA at Royal Queensland
The 44-year-old was diagnosed in April and returned to the tour at the Queensland PGA earlier this month
‘A bit of luck today gave me a positive outlook and suddenly I had a good lap.
“When you’re that far back, you think ‘just go play and have fun’.”
The 44-year-old was diagnosed with leukemia in April. The illness ruined his plans after he secured a place at the British Open in July.
After treatment he returned to the tour at the Queensland PGA earlier this month but was then back in New Zealand for treatment and missed last week’s Victorian PGA.
“It’s painful even though I’m on medication, but the day after there’s no pain, so that’s a real bonus because the first few days really hurt,” he said of the treatment he needs every three months.
“Right now it is [treatment] seems to do as he is told, but who knows what the future holds.
“We’re just going to try to make hay while the sun shines.”
In-form Aussie Min Woo Lee looks ominous heading into day four on Sunday, with Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino and 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott also topping the leaderboard.