Newport, RI — Richard Bland produced a final-round 4-under 66 in the U.S. Senior Open to force a playoff with Hiroyuki Fujita after rain postponed the finish to Monday morning. The Englishman then banged a bunker shot off the pin on fourth playoff hole to win his second straight senior major title.
The reigning Senior PGA champion came from five back of Fujita in the final round to force overtime.
Each player finished on 13 under in regulation and were still deadlocked after a two-hole, aggregate playoff and one more hole of “sudden death.”
The golfers then played the par-4, 466-yard 18th hole for the fourth time (once in regulation, once in the aggregate playoff and once in sudden death). Bland’s approach ended up in a greenside bunker, but his sand shot hit the pin and settled about an inch from the cup. After Fujita missed a 25-footer to force another extra hole, Bland tapped in to claim his second senior major in just his second senior major start.
“This is very special,” said Bland, who plays in the LIV Golf league. “I’m struggling to put this into words right now. We were chasing (Fujita) all week. I think he had the lead pretty much wire to wire.
“I’m thrilled beyond words to be standing here.”
Bland now owns back-to-back senior majors after claiming the Senior PGA Championship in late May in Benton Harbor, Michigan, where he a shot a brilliant final-round 8-under 63 to win by three shots. With that victory, Bland earned entrance into the U.S. Senior Open.
“To get this one as well, to go 2 for 2, is beyond my wildest dreams,” Bland said.
Bland’s career has surged in the last few years, with one of the highlights coming in 2021 at the Betfred British Masters on the DP World Tour. Bland won the event at age 48 to become the oldest first-time winner on the tour.
