Scott Hend’s recovery shot during the SAudi International. Matt Smith/Motivate Media

They say the long shot from the sand is the hardest shot in golf. And you know what? They’re right.

Long sand shots are basically impossible. Do you take a mighty cut and try to blast it or do you try to pick it clean? And if you pick it too clean, you might hit one 100 yards over the green. It’s tough. Which is what makes what Scott Hend did on Thursday all the more remarkable.

Playing in the first round of the Asian Tour’s Saudi International, Hend found himself faced with one of those long sand shots on the nasty par-3 16th at Royal Greens. Only, he wasn’t even in a bunker, but rocky scrub far to the right of the hole. Throw in some native vegetation that restricted his back swing. Oh, and toss in the fact that the Red Sea is right behind the green.

But even with all of that, the three-time European Tour winner managed to pull off a spectacular shot. Check it out:

Wow. These guys are good, huh? “That,” the announcer says, “That is the shot of the day.” No arguments here.

Unfortunately for Hend, there weren’t too many other great shots like that as the Aussie opened with a two-over-par 72. But even if Hend misses the cut this week, he could probably make a killing teaching others how to escape the sand like that. Well, trying to teach others. That was pretty special