After having his Presidents Cup bid blown off course at the US PGA Championship, Australia's Scott Hend will have to battle Fijian winds to get back on track.
The big-hitting Queenslander is a leading contender for the $1.5 million Fiji International at Natadola Bay which starts on Thursday.
It's an important tournament for the 43-year-old who is dreaming of being Nick Price's Internationals captain's pick to take on the United States in New Jersey from September 28.
While a third-round 63 at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational earlier in the month helped his cause, he missed the cut by one shot at the PGA Championship last week.
"Maybe if I had have made the cut and then played well at the weekend I could have got some more world ranking points and got further up the ladder," Hend said on Wednesday.
"This week if I can put in a good performance here... and the next couple of weeks play well, I've got a chance of getting a captain's pick in the team."
Price isn't the only person Hend is out to impress, with Internationals assistant captain Mike Weir among three US Masters winners playing in Fiji.
"I'm guessing he'll have a bit of an eye out to see what's going on, who's playing well and what possibilities could become," Hend said.
"To play well with one of those guys here is quite important."
Fijian hero Vijay Singh has returned home to play the course he redesigned, while two-time major winner Angel Cabrera also boosts the field's star power.
Conditions on the island's south-west coast are set to have serious bearing on the tournament, tri-sanctioned by the Australasian, European and Asian tours.
Hend admitted it would be a case of "hit and hope" as he tries to combat blustery winds.
"We'll have a look in the pro-am, see how it plays in the wind and try to adjust the game plan accordingly," he said.
Tournament favourite Ryan Cox and Michael Hendry lead the Kiwi charge, while Andrew Dodt is also among Australia's leading hopes.
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