Cleeks' Bland wins second straight senior major, claims U.S. Senior Open in playoff
NEWPORT, R.I. – Cleeks GC star Richard Bland has been anything but boring in senior major championships in 2024.
In fact, it’s been pure Blandemonium.
Bland, 51, won his second consecutive senior major title on Monday, surging from behind to capture the U.S. Senior Open in a dramatic playoff against Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita at Newport Country Club in trying conditions. The Englishman and LIV Golf League member shot a final-round 4-under 66, which took two days to complete due to severe weather. He then defeated Fujita, 55, on the second hole of sudden death, after both players finished tied following a two-hole aggregate playoff.
“This is very special,” said Bland, who finished 13 under in regulation. “I’m struggling to put this into words right now. We were chasing [Fujita] all week. I think he had the lead pretty much wire to wire. … I’m thrilled beyond words to be standing here.”
The winning shot came on the difficult par-4 18th, where Bland found the greenside bunker on his approach. Bland’s bunker shot hit the pin and stopped an inch from the hole, sending cheers throughout the gallery. Fujita had a 20-foot par putt to tie, but it barely missed. Bland, who had been 0 for 4 in sand saves for the week, tapped in to secure the championship.
“The trap shot, it came out perfect,” Bland said. “It’s one you can be really aggressive with. I knew he had a tricky putt. I was trying to put the pressure back on him.”
Bland now holds back-to-back senior majors after claiming the Senior PGA Championship in late May in Benton Harbor, Michigan, where he a shot a remarkable final-round 8-under 63 to win by three shots. With that victory, Bland earned entrance into the U.S. Senior Open.
“To get this one as well, to go 2 for 2, is beyond my wildest dreams,” Bland said.
He also joined an elite group of players who have won at the historic Newport Country Club, including World Golf Hall of Famers Tiger Woods (1995 U.S. Amateur Championship) and Annika Sorenstam (2006 U.S. Women’s Open).
When told about joining the illustrious group, Bland took a light-hearted approach.
“To be in that bracket, I’m probably doing it a bit of disservice to be honest with you,” Bland said with a laugh. “To be in that kind of bracket is very, very special and something you can only dream of.”
In regulation, Bland had to chase down a red-hot Fujita, who held a three-shot lead over Bland through 10 holes on Sunday before play was suspended due to weather. Bland had carded a front-nine 31, with four birdies and no bogeys, to make a run before the horn sounded.
Play resumed at 8 a.m. ET on Monday and Bland came out firing. He converted a clutch birdie attempt on the par-4 14th, bouncing back from a bogey on the 13th to cut the lead to one shot. Moments later, Fujita made bogey on the 14th hole to drop into a tie for the lead with Bland with four holes to go.
Bland stuck his approach to 5 feet on the par-4 15th hole and drained the putt to take a one-shot lead over Fujita, who had led since Friday afternoon.
On the difficult par-4 18th finishing hole, Bland scrambled and made an 8-foot putt for bogey to drop a shot and tie Fujita for the lead. The stage was set for Fujita, who was on the 18th fairway waiting for Bland’s group to finish. Needing a par to force a playoff or a birdie to win, Fujita hit an impressive second shot with a fairway wood to within 30 feet of the hole. He nearly drained the long putt, and headed to the playoff after tapping it in.
It’s been an emotional time for Bland, whose brother Heath has been battling cancer.
“He should be getting his lung cancer surgery soon and it shouldn’t be too invasive,” Bland told NBC on Sunday. “He’s in good spirits and very positive throughout. (The Senior PGA title) wasn’t mine; it was his. Maybe I can win this one for me.”
After winning Monday, Bland held the trophy and said with a smile: “This one is staying at my house.”
Bland’s career has surged in the last few years, with one of the highlights coming in 2021 at the Betfred British Masters on the DP World Tour. Bland won the event at age 48 to become the oldest first-time winner on the tour. He kept it going in 2021 at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines by sharing the 36-hole lead with Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm, who went on to win.
Bland is currently 25th in the season-long individual standings and is coming off his second top-10 finish of the season, a T9 at LIV Golf Nashville. His Cleeks are currently seventh in the team standings and won their first team title last month at LIV Golf Houston.
The LIV Golf League season resumes July 12 at LIV Golf Andalucía at Real Club Valderrama.
(Photo courtesy of Kathryn Riley/USGA)