Richard Bland wins Senior PGA Championship in his major debut
Last week the PGA Championship saw LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau register a runner-up finish, marking another top 10 finish in a major for DeChambeau. This week also saw LIV Golfers win on two different tours.
Richard Bland – Senior PGA Championship
51-year-old Englishman Richard Bland, who also plays the LIV Tour won the Senior PGA Championship, shooting 64-66-74-63 for a total score of 17-under 267 winning by three strokes over Richard Green of Australia.
Bland made news in 2021 by becoming the oldest first time winner on the European Tour at the age of 48 after winning the British Masters.
RELATED: 48 yr old wins his first title in Europe
The PGA of America allowed LIV golfers to participate at the PGA Championship and the Senior PGA as well.
The bigger the win, the bigger the trophy!
What a performance by Richard Bland. #SrPGAChamp pic.twitter.com/4vu7lJe4if
— KitchenAid Senior PGA Champ (@seniorpgachamp) May 26, 2024
LIV Golfers now have two major championships under their belts – Brooks Koepka – PGA Championship 2023 and Richard Bland – Senior PGA 2024. As hard the PGA TOUR fandom shouts about LIV golfers being washed out, LIV Golfers continue to prove them wrong.
However despite Bland having won a major, the PGA Champions Tour has denied him membership or entry onto their tour.
Richard Bland’s win at the Senior PGA Championship will not come with the customary one-year PGA Tour Champions exemption because he is playing for LIV Golf.
From the Tour:
“In spite of the win, because of competing in an unauthorized event by the PGA TOUR, he will be…— Bob Harig (@BobHarig) May 26, 2024
Kieran Vincent wins Sunshine Tour
Another LIV player, 26-year-old Kieran Vincent from Zimbabwe, won on South Africa’s Sunshine Tour with scores of 67-67-67-66.
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Last year, Kieran, the younger brother of leading Asian Tour pro Scott Vincent, won the International Series Vietnam on the Asian Tour and currently plays alongside his brother Scott on the Iron Heads team captained by American Kevin Na.
Thomas Pieters finishes 2nd in Belgium
Belgian Thomas Pieters, a six-time winner on the European Tour (now known as the DP World Tour) now playing on LIV, finished 2nd in the Soudal Open after getting a home country invitation.
Pieters carded rounds of 67-66-68-66, ending at 17 under a stroke shy of winner Nacho Elvira of Spain.
The past two weeks has added credibility to the quality of golf being played by members of the LIV TOUR which builds fan anticipation for the majors when the best of LIV compete with the best of the PGA & DP World Tours at the upcoming US Open and Open Championship.
As the tours attempt to work out a settlement to stop competing and start cooperating with each other, the performances of LIV’s players may adds impetus to the process.
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Photo – PGA of America