LIV star speaks out on ‘unbelievable’ impact of LIV Golf and Saudi breakaway

Richard Bland, one of LIV Golf’s high-profile names, has attributed his impressive form on the course to the switch to the controversial Saudi-backed circuit.

Having snatched a heart-stopping win at the US Senior Open at Newport Country Club this Monday, Bidge Bland edged out Hiroyuki Fujita in a suspense-filled playoff following a delayed finish due to the rain.

The seasoned golfer caused a stir last month by snapping up the Senior PGA Championship title in his first outing on the senior tour.

Joining golf legends Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Roger Chapman and Colin Montgomedie, Bland has notched both the U. S.

Senior Open and the Senior PGA to his belt, cementing his standing among an elite group who have triumphed in these prestigious senior majors.

Bland’s ascent to the upper echelons of senior golf has been a long grind. Hailing from Burton upon Trent, he grinded through 479 starts until finally clinching his maiden DP World Tour at the British Masters in 2021 a solitary victory throughout two decades on the European Tour.

Fresh off his recent mammoth win, Bland remarked that his surprising uptick in performance in the twilight years of his career owes much to the regular battles against top-notch LIV Golf opponents. “Yeah, I’m a way better golfer than I was back then, but I think that’s the caliber of players that I’m playing against on LIV,” he confidently proclaimed as reported by Golf Monthly.

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“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.”

“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 also shared his aspirations to excel for his brother Heath, who is fighting cancer and is expected to undergo an operation soon to remove a tumour. The four-time professional champion disclosed his intention to present his brother with the PGA Championship trophy he secured, while he plans to retain the US Senior Open prize for himself.

“He’s always there kind of in the back of all of our minds,” Bland remarked. “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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