LIV Golf star’s bold confession over rebel league sums up job Greg Norman has done.
Richard Bland has admitted that victory at LIV Golf Greenbrier this week would top his two senior major championship victories from earlier in the campaign.
Bland made his mark on the senior major stage on debut in May, winning the Senior PGA Championship by three shots at Harbor Shores Golf Club. One month later, the Englishman went back-to-back on the major stage, clinching the Senior US Open crown via a tense playoff at Newport Country Club.
At the age of 51, Bland appears to be playing the best golf of his career, having spent the majority of his playing days as somewhat of a journeyman across the DP World Tour.
This campaign in particular has been a very positive one for Bland and he has played his way into contention at LIV Greenbrier with 18 holes left to play. The Cleeks GC star is bogey-free across the opening two days, having carded back-to-back six-under-par 64’s to leave him two shots behind leader Jon Rahm.
Although he faces strong competition at the top, Bland is determined to secure his first LIV title on Sunday. He acknowledged that achieving this victory would surpass his two major wins earlier this year. Reflecting on the significance of a triumph in this alternative circuit and the impact of Greg Norman’s efforts, he stated on Saturday, “I believe this would have to be regarded as my greatest achievement.”
“From a personal perspective, this is particularly significant due to the caliber of players I am competing against. I do not intend to diminish the value of a senior major, which is indeed a remarkable accomplishment. However, when I look at the leaderboard, it is exceptionally competitive. If I were to emerge victorious tomorrow, it would undoubtedly be a defining moment in my career.”
Bland will need to surpass the lead of one of the sport’s most prominent figures, former world No. 1 Rahm. Also in contention are 2023 LIV individual champion Talor Gooch and 2022 Champion Golfer of the Year, Australian star Cameron Smith.
For Bland, simply competing alongside the elite players in the world is a significant achievement. “At my age, being able to compete with these individuals speaks volumes about my game,” he remarked. He expressed a desire to finalize his performance before heading to Chicago in a couple of weeks.
“Once again, we will see. I am not going to dwell on that too much tomorrow. My focus will be on playing, taking it one shot at a time, and observing where it leads me.” Bland is set to play in the second-to-last group during Sunday’s third round, starting on the first hole in the shotgun format alongside Ripper GC teammates Smith and Lucas Herbert.