LIV Golfer Richard Bland wins Senior PGA in his senior major debut
Richard Bland is the Senior PGA Championship winner in his first time playing a senior major
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Richard Bland had time off from LIV Golf and made it pay off in a major way Sunday when he won the Senior PGA Championship in his senior major debut, closing with an 8-under 63 for a three-shot victory at Harbor Shores.
In a final round delayed by about an hour because of storms, Bland hit what amounted to the winning shot on the par-5 15th, an approach to 6 feet for eagle. That took him from one shot behind Greg Chalmers to a one-shot lead when Chalmers could only manage a par.
The storms finally arrived, and the 51-year-old Bland returned to make three pars and claim his first victory since the 2021 British Masters, the European tour title that unwittingly started Bland on this amazing ride.
Bland did not realize until last year the Senior PGA Championship offers a one-time exemption to players who have won on the European tour in the last five years. He couldn't play because the Senior PGA was held the same week as LIV Golf Bedminster in New Jersey.
