Richard Bland: LIV is a “higher standard” of golf than DP World Tour

Richard Bland says is no coincidence that he is playing some of the best golf of his career at the age 51, insisting that the standard of golf on the LIV Golf League has pushed his game to the next level.

Bland famously won his first and only DP World Tour event at the British Masters in May 2021 at the 478th time of asking.

That subsequently paved the way for a move to LIV a year later and whilst individual success on the Saudi-circuit has eluded him, the Englishman has enhanced his CV with two senior major championship victories this year: the Senior PGA Championship in May and the US Senior Open in June.

That, he says, is consequence of his new home tour.

Speaking ahead of this week’s LIV UK event at JCB Golf & Country Club, Bland said: “I’ve got more of an edge, competitively, playing here than I would have playing on the DP World Tour.

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“That’s not to put the DP World Tour down or bad-mouth it in any way. My personal opinion is just that the standard here is higher. A lot higher.”

Bland won’t have the chance to complete a senior major hat-trick this week, with the Senior Open taking place at Carnoustie whilst he is in the Midlands for the 11th event of the LIV season.

He and Lee Westwood are both banned from the Senior Open as a result of ongoing divisions in the men’s game.

“That’s a DP World Tour decision,” he said. “I don’t think that’s an R&A decision. Myself and Lee, we didn’t have our fines paid and I didn’t want my fines paid. I had no plan to go back [to the DP World Tour] so I didn’t see the point.

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“At the end of the day, it’s a loss to the tournament and the fans that they don’t get to see Lee and myself.

“There were rumours going around that LIV didn’t allow me a release to go and play. The truth is I didn’t even ask for a release. Even if it was possible, I’d still be here. This is my priority.”

Bland also poured cold water on the prospect of him ever joining the PGA Tour Champions. He was denied the customary playing rights on the over-50s circuit reserved for winners of the Senior PGA Championship, but insists that it makes no difference to him.

“This is where I want to be,” he stressed. “I don’t want to be anywhere else. Once I’m not wanted by LIV, that’s me off into the sunset and I’ll be a very happy man. I like where I’m playing, the schedule I have.

“I don’t particularly want to play full-time in America. If I wasn’t playing on LIV, that might be completely different. But when the PGA Tour came out and said, ‘You’re not welcome here after the PGA’, I didn’t lose any sleep.

“I’m very, very happy where I’m at.”

Michael McEwan is bunkered's Head of Content and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Head of Content