Hendry qualified for the 2011 UK Championship after beating Gerard Greene 6–2 in the final qualifying round. It was his first qualifying match since 1989. However, he lost 3–6 to compatriot Stephen Maguire in the first round. He reached the semi-finals of the twelfth PTC event in January 2012, but narrowly lost 3–4, once again to Maguire. Hendry needed to reach the final in order to make the top 24 of the Order of Merit and secure a place in the Finals. Hendry lost 1–5 in a qualifying match against James Wattana for the German Masters and therefore did not play in a ranking tournament for the first time in 15 years.