Richard Bland slapped with slow-play penalty at LIV Golf Chicago, fined $10K
Richard Bland’s bank account is now $10,000 less.
The English golfer was given a one-stroke penalty for slow play during the LIV Golf event in Chicago on Friday because he took longer than the allowed 40 seconds to take a shot. Last year at the LIV Golf event at Valderrama, he was penalized for slow play.
Bland, 51, was grouped with Charl Schwartzel and Patrick Reed and Bolingbrook Golf Club and they were first warned on their fifth holes of the day (No. 10) that they were out of position. Two holes later, according to a release by LIV Golf, they were further out of position.
On the 12th hole, Bland’s second shot was deemed to have been longer that the policy allows and was immediately notified by an official. He was assessed a one-stroke penalty and fined $10,000. Although the penalty happened on the 12th hole, it somehow was added to his score on the par-5 14th hole, according to the LIV release.
Bland finished with a score of one-over 71 and is currently in a tie for 21st place.
Koepka had a strong performance, making eight birdies and finishing with a score of eight-under 62, putting him four shots ahead of Paul Casey. Niemann is currently leading Rahm by one shot in the ongoing individual race for the season, which has a total prize of $18 million. The player who finishes with a higher position at the end of the week will be declared the winner.
Bland received a penalty on the LIV Golf circuit this year, which is one of several penalties issued.
In February, Niemann was penalized two shots for playing the ball from an incorrect place. Meronk was given a slow-play penalty in March, resulting in a loss of $240,000 in earnings.
