History! LIV Golf star wins second major

LIV Golf’s Richard Bland has made history by winning the US Senior Open at Newport Country Club.

Dangerous weather conditions delayed Sunday’s final round, but Bland stormed up the leaderboard on Monday before snatching the title in a marathon play-off against Hiroyuki Fujita.

Playing in just his second senior major, Bland became the third golfer to make it two from two by repeating May’s heroics in the Senior PGA Championship.

It took the Englishman 478 starts on the DP World Tour to win his first title and, at 51, Bland now has more major titles than wins in Europe.

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He also tasted LIV Golf success for the first time last month, when Cleeks GC won its inaugural team title in Houston.

“This is very special,” Bland said after lifting the Ouimet Memorial Trophy. “I’m struggling to put this into words right now.

“It was a tough day, we were chasing him [Fujita] all week. I think he had the lead pretty much wire-to-wire. I made a great birdie on 15 to go one in front and tried to trip over myself on the last.

“I’m just thrilled beyond words to be stood here. To go two-for-two is beyond my wildest dreams.”

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Bland carded consecutive birdies on 14 and 15 to take the lead for the first time in Newport, with his Japanese rival stuttering at the top.

But after finding the fairway bunker on the 18th hole, Bland scrambled to make a bogey five and tie Fujita on 13-under.

The pair were not to be split in the two-hole aggregate shootout, or in two sudden death holes. It was third time lucky for Bland, though, who produced a sublime shot from the greenside bunker to set-up the winning par putt.

CLUTCH.

What a bunker shot for Richard Bland as he wins the U.S. Senior Open. pic.twitter.com/vdlgcMtRAU

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 1, 2024

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.