But the Kiwi charge got everyone excited this evening.
Hend moved to 12-under-par for the tournament with a round of 66 today on the Coronet course that included just one dropped shot.
Fellow veteran Marcus Fraser, playing alongside Australian cricket great Ricky Ponting in the associated pro-am, New South Wales golfer Sam Brazel, former champion Matthew Griffin and New Zealand contenders Daniel Hillier and Josh Geary are tied for second two shots back.
Hillier and Geary made dramatic late charges to join the chasing group, and they will each seek this weekend to become the first homegrown winner of the Open since 2017.
Hend turned professional in 1997 and has spent plenty of seasons on both the PGA and European tours.
He led the PGA Tour in driving in 2005 and won 16 times around the world, and said the key to going low at Millbrook today was fairly simple.
‘‘It's not as difficult out there as it has been years gone past because we haven't had the wind yet.
“We're just taking advantage of the situation and the greens are putting nice because it hasn't rained and that's pretty much all is to it.
“It's not playing as difficult as it has in the past, honestly, because we haven't had that 20kmh-30kmh wind out there.
“It's just one of those things you've got to take advantage of when you can. You don’t know what's going to happen on the weekend. Sunday could be a little bit dodgy so we'll just keep going.”
Hend has flirted with the lead at past New Zealand Opens and is well aware there is plenty of golf to play.
“You can't win every tournament but as long as you give yourself an opportunity, come the weekend . . . and if someone shoots a better score than you then that's the way it goes.
“But just give yourself opportunities. The more opportunities you get, the more you're going to win tournaments.”
It was another day of glorious weather at Millbrook, though occasional spells of wind created some interest on both layouts.
Rising Japanese golfer Yuta Sugiura had one of the rounds of the day, firing seven birdies and one bogey on the Remarkables to move to 9-under with a 6-under-par 65.
Prominent players to miss the cut (4-under) included rising New Zealand golfer Kazuma Kobori, who never looked at his best at Millbrook and finished at 2-over, former champions Dimi Papadatos (1-under) and Jordan Zunic (2-under), and the player everyone desperately wanted to see do well, cancer survivor Michael Hendry (2-under).
Champions Tour star Steven Alker played much better yesterday, shooting a 67 after his opening-round 76, but his 1-over was well off the pace.
Queenstown golfer Ben Campbell and playing partner Andrew Jolly are tied for the pro-am lead at 22-under with Sugiura and Jun Tsusaka.
While conditions have been near-perfect over the first two rounds, conditions are expected to be more changeable at the weekend.
