Back-to-back senior Major winner Richard Bland has called for the R&A “to stand up to the DP World Tour” and allow LIV Golf players such as himself and Lee Westwood to compete in the Senior Open Championship.
Arguably the best late bloomer in golf, Bland won the Senior PGA Championship in his senior Major debut and then duly followed up with a playoff victory at the Senior US Open.
The 51-year-old is not able to go for the hat-trick at the Senior Open Championship though as he is barred from the event through the DP World Tour’s continued ban for anyone who has not paid the fines imposed for playing in LIV events that take place in conflicting weeks.
Westwood has already voiced his displeasure at the ruling, and now Bland has added his voice saying that the R&A, which co-runs the event with the DP World Tour, should stand up to its partner and not help enforce this ban.
“The R&A needed to stand up to the DP World Tour and go, ‘Look, this is an open event, not a closed event,’” Bland told Golf Digest in Spain.
Bland’s comments come even though he’d likely not play in the Senior Open even if he was allowed – as it is being staged the same week as the LIV Golf UK event at the JCB Golf Club.
The Englishman, who recently admitted that his move to LIV was “purely for the money” says his priorities now lay with the Saudi-backed league – even over senior Majors.
“My priorities are there [with LIV], and even if [I could] go play, I don’t know. I’d have to I’d have to think about it,” added Bland – who said that if he did play at Carnoustie he’d fancy his chances.
Richard Bland holds the Senior PGA Championship trophy
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“It’s a shame because Carnoustie is one of my favorite courses, in my top five ever.
“I played the Dunhill Links Championship there many times, so I would actually probably really fancy my chances.”
With the DP World Tour standing by their ruling, players face continued bans if they refuse to pay the fine being incurred – with the likes of Thomas Pieters and Patrick Reed being able to play in the recent BMW International Open after settling their debts.
Bland, though, has no intention of either paying himself or asking LIV to pay, as it originally said it would, as he has no desire to play on the DP World Tour again.
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