AKRON, Ohio _ When he was 17 years old, Scott Hend worked five days a week as a cleaner at an Australian hospital from midnight until 5 a.m. so he could play golf every morning.
By that point in his life he was smitten by the sport, but still took the late shift job seriously.
"You'd suit up. Cleaning operating theaters and all sorts of stuff," Hend said. "It's quite a daunting job because when you think about it if you don't do it properly somebody could get a staph infection or something like that."
Hend, 43, might have the most unusual background of anyone on the leaderboard going into Sunday's final round of the $9.75 million World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.
At the very least he wore the most unusual shoes on Saturday, sporting a custom pair with an American flag motif, unknowingly on the day the event honored the military with a 9:30 a.m. ceremony.
"(I wanted to show) appreciation for the military and the service people in the U.S., what they do for myself and my family to live in this great country. I just hope everybody else appreciates what they do as well," Hend said.
No matter how the final 18 holes turn out, Hend may celebrate his non-traditional route from Queensland, Australia to Akron.
He worked at the hospital for two years, then did an apprenticeship at a plastics die-fitter. He quit that six months shy of certification to become a golf professional. Then after completing the Australian PGA's three-year program, he decided he'd rather play than work in a pro shop and teach.
He earned a PGA Tour card in 2004 and '05 and finished third in the 2004 BellSouth Classic. Since then he's recorded 13 international victories, although he had to have his thyroid completely removed in 2012 when it was found to be about 15 times the normal size.
After carding the low round of the tournament with a 7-under par 63 Saturday that left him one stroke off the lead of Zach Johnson and Belgium's Thomas Pieters, Hend set himself up for what would be a life-changing victory.
Others in the field may eye the $1.66 million first-place prize not only for the money, but for the prestige, the FedExCup points that determine tour eligibility for next season and the confidence boost going into next week's PGA Championship. For Hend, it would mean a chance to use his passport less and see his wife and two children more.
The Hends live in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., where the PGA Tour is headquartered, but he hasn't had his card for 12 years. A triumph at Firestone Country Club would bring a three-year PGA Tour exemption, but a high finish might earn him temporary membership.
"I would play here tomorrow, no worries," Hend said. "This is the place where all professionals want to play full time and be out here for as long as you possibly can because this is where the majority of the best golfers in the world play. I reside here, my kids go to school here, it would be a lot less travel for me and I love playing golf here."
He also loves living in Florida even though there are few direct flights from Jacksonville.
"We had visas and we finally got a green card," he said of his time as a PGA Tour member. "We love the lifestyle, we like our neighborhood. We just enjoy everything here. Trust me, traveling from Australia to play Europe, instead of traveling from Florida to play Europe, it was an easy decision for us to stay."
A member of the European Tour who earned his first appearance in the Bridgestone by winning the 2016 Order of Merit on the Asian Tour, Hend is playing his first event in the United States since the 2016 PGA Championship. Since then, he's competed in 30 events worldwide in 25 different countries.
Despite the air miles logged and the time zones crossed, Hend is happy.
"Golf was always my passion and what I wanted to do. If you're fortunate enough to do that and you love it, then go ahead and follow it," he said.
He's followed it to the cusp of making the International Presidents Cup team, with captain Nick Price mentioning Hend as a possibility on Tuesday. Hend's 63 may curry him more favor with Price.
His personality may also be a factor as Price builds his team. European Tour regulars say Hend has even worn camouflage golf shirts, so the shoes didn't faze them.
"I like a bit of color. Sometimes it's a bit boring on the golf course, some guys wear the grays and the blacks," Hend said. "I'm not really a gray-black sort of person."
Hend said the Italian-designed Raimondi shoes _ he has another pair bearing the Australian flag _ were free for him, "but for somebody else they're probably 600 Euros." That's over $700.
Hend might have considered the Aussie shoes for Sunday, but he said they're not here.
"I wore them at the Golf Sixes in England the other week. I caught a bit of flak from the English guys wearing Australian shoes," he said.
For someone who is not a gray-black sort of guy, a bit of flak would seem inconsequential, especially when he likely shut them up with his third-round 65 in the British Open at Royal Birkdale.
That ranked among the best rounds of his life, along with the 63 Saturday. But with so much on the line for himself and his family, Hend sounded as if he didn't want to dwell too much on Sunday.
"It could be something special," Hend said. "We'll see what happens after the boys are finished (Saturday). Then tomorrow we'll sum up the weather conditions and the way the course is playing, hopefully stick to a game plan and at the end of the day we'll see what happens."
