Richard Bland shares what LIV Golf has done to his quality of play since joining
On the heels of his thrilling win in the US Senior Open, LIV Golf star Richard Bland asserted that his defection to the Saudi-backed league has allowed his play to flourish
LIV Golf star Richard Bland believes his defection to the Saudi-backed league has done wonders for his quality of play.
On Monday, Bland secured a thrilling victory in the US Senior Open at Newport Country Club, narrowly edging out Hiroyuki Fujita in a rain-delayed playoff. Last month, the 51-year-old burst onto the senior golf scene in a major way, winning the Senior PGA Championship in his circuit debut.
Following his triumphs in the US Senior Open and Senior PGA, Bland joins Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Roger Chapman and Colin Montgomerie as the only players to finish first in both senior major championships.
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Bland’s development into a high-leverage player took time. The Burton upon Trent native made 479 starts before winning his first DP World Tour event - the British Masters in 2021. Over a 20-year career on the European Tour, it was the only victory he attained.
On the heels of his latest senior major win, Bland attributed his late career revitalization to the high level of competition he routinely faces on LIV Golf, which he joined in 2022. "Yeah, I’m a way better golfer than I was back then, but I think that’s the calibre of players that I’m playing against on LIV,” he said, per Golf Monthly.
“To play against Bryson [DeChambeau], who won just the other week at Pinehurst, to play against him, to play against Jon Rahm, Cam Smith, DJ [ Dustin Johnson ], Brooks [Koepka], they’re the best players in the world. I don’t care what the world ranking says. If I’m going to compete with those guys, I have to bring my A game. I have to. I can’t bring my C game, and it won’t stack up against those.
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"It just elevates my game, and I think it’s done that unbelievably over the last three years. It’s just made me a better player. You’re not always going to be playing your best golf, but I’m the best player I’ve ever been."
Bland additionally hopes to perform well for his brother Heath, who is currently fighting through a years-long battle with cancer but is expected to undergo surgery to remove a tumour in the near future. The four-time pro winner revealed he’d be gifting his sibling the PGA Championship trophy he won, but would keep the US Senior Open hardware for himself.
"He's always there kind of in the back of all of our minds," Bland said. "It's been a tough 15, 16 months for him and the family. Hopefully he's going to have some surgery soon to get rid of the tumor from his lung.
"I was fortunate to win the PGA and obviously win - I think I get the replica for that this week. I've always said that that's his. He can have that. That was always for him. But this one right here, this one's for me and my wife. I'm just looking forward to getting back home and seeing the family. I've been away for four weeks now. Yeah, really looking forward to getting home."
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