Richard Bland, representing England, clinched his second consecutive senior major title in a thrilling victory at the US Senior Open.
Bland emerged victorious in a nail-biting sudden playoff against Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita. two golfers finished tied on 13 under par and could not be separated in a two-hole aggregate playoff.
After both players parred the first hole of sudden death, they returned to the 18th hole. Bland’s third shot from a greenside bunker hit the pin, leaving him with a tap-in par for the win. Fujita narrowly missed his own par attempt.
During the presentation ceremony, Bland expressed his emotions, saying, “This is a truly special moment for me. I’m finding it difficult to put into words right now.”
Fujita had a three-shot lead after 10 holes when the final round was interrupted due to dangerous weather on Sunday afternoon. Up until that point, the 55-year-old had only made two bogeys throughout the week. However, when play resumed on Monday, he dropped shots on the 11th, 12th, and 14th holes. Meanwhile, Bland, who was in the group ahead, followed a bogey on the 13th with birdies on the 14th and 15th.
As a result, Bland took a one-shot lead, but he then bogeyed the 18th hole. He could only watch as Fujita came incredibly close to sinking a long birdie putt for the victory.
Bland reflected on his performance, saying, “I made a fantastic birdie on the 15th to take the lead, but I stumbled on the last hole. I’m just grateful to have made it to the playoff. The shot from the bunker was one where I could be really aggressive, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be standing here. To win two senior majors is beyond my wildest dreams.”
In May, Bland dedicated his Senior PGA Championship win to his brother Heath, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer over a year ago and recently discovered he also had cancer in his lungs.
With a playful tone, Bland joked as he held the US Open trophy, “He can have the PGA, but I’m sorry, he’s not taking this one away from me. This one’s staying in my house.”
Bland’s victory at the 2021 British Masters, his first DP World Tour event win in his 478th start, earned him a place in LIV Golf.
