U.S. Senior Open: Richard Bland earns monumental 2nd main victory

Richard Bland earned his second main victory on the Champions Tour, defeating Hiroyuki Fujita for the U.S. Senior Open at Newport Country Club.

They each made par within the two-hole mixture playoff, which despatched it right into a sudden-death playoff. They performed 18 twice extra earlier than a winner emerged.

In two senior main begins, Bland is now two-of-two in victories. He gained the Senior PGA Championship earlier this yr in March. Bland turns into the fifth participant to win the U.S. Senior Open and Senior PGA Championship.

“Your first two senior tournaments to be majors and to return out on high is, I used to be simply hoping going into the PGA that I used to be ok to contend,” Bland mentioned.

Photo by Brennan Asplen/Getty Images

“I hadn’t performed towards these guys. I knew, if I performed the best way I do know I can play, it needs to be ok to have the ability to compete. But, yeah, to be stood right here with two majors is, yeah, I’m confused in the mean time now.”

On the fourth playoff gap, Bland stored his ball within the fairway whereas Fujita went left. The Englishman had a 214-yard method shot, and he hooked it to wind up within the greenside bunker.

From there, the Cleeks LIV Golf member nearly holed his ball out with an unbelievable bunker shot that landed mere inches from the cup.

Fujita was wanting the inexperienced and nonetheless did not rise up and down from 44 yards out. He nearly compelled a fifth playoff gap however narrowly missed his par putt.

Bland compelled a playoff along with his final-round 4-under 66 to get to 13-under within the match, whereas Fujita cooled off with a 1-over 71.

This victory additionally secures the 51-year-old a spot within the 2024 U.S. Open at Oakmont.

“I do know what you guys love to do with U.S. Opens, so simply go simple on us olders (laughter). Maybe you may stick a tee up for me,” he mentioned. “It was my first ever match in America in at Bethpage in ’09, and I used to be blown away by it. We’re at all times sort of like, oh, being from Europe or the UK, our main is The Open, however I used to be blown away by the U.S. Open.

“I’ll be flights to Oakmont for subsequent yr very, very quickly.”

Bland grew to become the twelfth participant to win his U.S. Senior Open debut and is the second golfer from England to take residence the trophy.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For extra golf protection, observe us @_PlayingThrough on all main social platforms. You may observe her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.