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Australia's Scott Hend has spent five weeks inside the European Tour's biosecure UK bubble in the lead-up the US Open at New York's Winged Foot.
Australia's Scott Hend says the mental challenges of spending five weeks inside the European Tour's biosecure bubble recently have prepared him for the savagery of a US Open at Winged Foot.
Hend qualified for his fourth US Open and first since 2011 by winning the Asian Tour's 2019 Order of Merit.
The 47-year-old Queenslander was in contention briefly at the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot when countryman Geoff Ogilvy lifted the trophy with a five-over-par total.
Big-hitting Hend is ecstatic at returning to the New York course for America's national championship.
"I was as excited as a kid at Christmas just to get here for a practice round, let alone the tournament starting; it's a great feeling," Hend told AAP from New York.
Based in Florida but primarily a European and Asian Tour player, Hend's preparation for the US Open was playing five of the European Tour's six-tournament UK swing.
The European Tour had shut down for four months due to COVID-19 before a soft return with two events in Austria in July.
The UK swing then kicked off with six events held only at courses in the UK and Wales.
For the safety of tournament personnel, the European Tour placed far greater restrictions on the movement of players and caddies than on the US PGA Tour or at this week's US Open.
Three-time European Tour winner Hend said it was tough.
"The (biosecure) bubble situation in the US is not even close to what it (was in Europe)," Hend said.
"Here, once you leave the golf course, you can go back to the hotel, go have dinner or do anything you want, as long as you don't get COVID-19.
"In the UK, once you went to the hotel, which was on site, you didn't leave the hotel or the golf course. You couldn't do anything and you ate off the hotel menu all week.
"(I) felt tied down and it was way (different) to what we usually do; it was very difficult."
Hend, a 10-time Asian Tour winner, finished tied for 32nd at the 2006 US Open but didn't make the cut in his other two starts.
His record is similar to fellow Australian veteran Matt Jones, also in the field this week, given he has never made the cut in his four US Opens.
But Hend feels ready for the grind.
"I know par means something at the US Open, where it's all about trying to avoid a massive mistake and hang on. That's what I'm trying to focus on," Hend said.
