Michael Hendry wins PGA Tour of Australasia after beating cancer - “I remained confined to the hospital bed and lost 17kg”

Cancer survivor Michael Hendry won the 2024 For The Players By The Players on the Japan Golf Tour on the PGA Tour of Australasia by one point. Diagnosed with leukaemia in May 2023, Hendry now has 15 professional wins under his belt and earned his second Japan Golf Tour win.

After receiving the devastating news of his cancer diagnosis, Hendry withdrew from the 2023 Open Championship with a heavy heart as he was meant to play with a spot earned by a second-place finish on the Asian Tour. After chemotherapy treatments, Hendry returned to professional golf with good health and beat cancer. Hendry told JGTO:

"A year ago, I received the diagnosis of leukaemia, and it was a devastating blow. Throughout my hospitalisation, I remained confined to the hospital bed and lost 17kg. The hospitalisation was about three to four months. I couldn't play golf for five months. I was discharged in September and it was not until October before I started playing again."

Michael Hendry received an invitation to play in the Open Championship again in July 2024 to make his third appearance at the event. Hendry told the New Zealand Herald that the 2024 Open Championship was his main source of motivation:

"Even before last year’s Open was played, the R&A had told me that they were going to see my exemption good for this year. So I’m already in the Open. I’m really looking forward to that and just trying to get myself in good form come July and hopefully I can make up for my missed opportunity last year. It was huge."

"I can’t undersell how important it was for me during what I was going through with my leukaemia battle and the chemotherapy and all that sort of stuff to know that I had something like The Open to look forward to and push towards," he added.

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Michael Hendry Career Overview

Born in New Zealand on October 15, 1979, Michael Hendry turned professional in 2005 and has 17 wins as a professional under his belt. The native is a two-time New Zealand PGA Championship winner.

The 2010 Indonesia Open winner joined the Japan Golf Tour in 2013 after a second-place finish on the PGA Tour of Australasia's Order of Merit in 2012. He also played the OneAsia Tour for two years in 2010 and 2011, where he finished third and sixth respectively on the Order of Merit.

Hendry earned his first Japan Golf Tour title in 2013 at the Token Homemate Cup where he won by one stroke. He finished second place at the Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open in 2017 and 2018, which led him to qualify to play the Open Championship in both years.

His runner-up finish at the World City Championship on the Asian Tour gave him entry to play in the 2023 Open Championship, but he unfortunately had to step away from the opportunity due to his leukaemia diagnosis.

After an all-clear from his medical team, Hendry returned to the sport to play on the Charles Tour and won the DVS Clearwater Open just two weeks into his return to professional golf in a playoff.

On May 12, 2024, Michael Hendry won his second Japan Golf Tour title by one point. Hendry has two Japan Golf Tour titles, four PGA Tour of Australasia wins, one OneAsia Tour win, and nine Charles Tour wins.