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Richard Bland is the new rising star on the senior golf circuits, having recently won the Senior PGA Championship and the Senior US Open. However, the Englishman will not be able to pursue a third consecutive senior major title as he is ineligible to play at the Senior Open Championship.
The reason for this is his involvement with LIV Golf. Richard Bland has not paid the fines or served the suspensions imposed by the DP World Tour for leaving the European circuit to play in the breakaway league.
The Senior Open Championship is co-sanctioned by the R&A and the DP World Tour, so the latter's eligibility rules apply. Bland said that the R&A should have fought to have these sanctions lifted, as it is a major championship.
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"The R&A needed to stand up to the DP World Tour and go, ‘Look, this is an open event, not a closed event,’" Richard Bland said to Golf Digest.
Some LIV Golf players have paid their fines and served their suspensions and have been able to return to DP World Tour co-sanctioned events. As to why he hasn't, Bland had this to say to Golf Digest:
"LIV didn’t pay my fines and I didn't want them to, because I was never going to go back to DP World Tour, so I didn't see the point."
DP World Tour members are required to apply for and obtain a release to play in tournaments on other circuits that overlap with the European Tour. Failure to comply with this requirement can result in fines and suspensions.
Bland has been in breach of this rule since joining LIV Golf in 2022 and is therefore ineligible to play in any DP World Tour event, including the Senior Open Championship.
Richard Bland's 2024 season at a glance
Richard Bland has played in 10 LIV Golf events this season, posting two top 10s and seven top 25s. He is currently ranked 22nd in the season's individual standings.
His Cleeks GC team has one event win and one podium finish (third). The team, led by Martin Kaymer, is ranked 8th for the season.
The highlights of the 2024 season for Bland have undoubtedly been his appearances at the Senior PGA Championship and the Senior US Open. They were the first two appearances of his career in senior events, and he won both titles.
Bland reached the Senior PGA Championship thanks to a one-time exemption granted to DP World Tour winners who turn 50 and are not otherwise exempt. The Englishman made the most of his opportunity and won the event at 17-under.
Bland then used his victory at the Senior PGA Championship to qualify for the US Senior Open. Once again, the Englishman took the title, this time defeating Hiroyuki Fujita in a playoff.
