MACAU - Australian long hitter Scott Hend claimed victory at the Macau Open Sunday as the tournament's star draw Ernie Els was forced to content himself with third place. On a day of drama in the $800,000 Asian Tour tournament, which also saw India's Anirban Lahiri match the course record with an impressive nine-under-par 62, Hend capitalised on his overnight four-shot lead and never let Els come close to staging a comeback. He finished the tournament with a three-stroke victory, closing with a four-under-par 67 for a 16-under-par 268 total. Lahiri's blistering fourth-day performance thrust him into second while four-time Major champion Els shared third with the Philippines' Elmer Salvador. Hend, currently ranked the 179th best player in the world, had a dreadful start to the first round with a dismal 74.–AFP