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Richard Bland enjoyed a career year in 2024. The late-blooming 52-year-old captured the first two major titles of his career in the span of two months, winning the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in May and the U.S. Senior Open in July.
The latter victory—which Bland won in a playoff, joining golf legends like Bernhard Langer, Padraig Harrington and Jim Furyk as recent winners—was the highwater mark of the Englishman’s long, winding career. But now, with the 2025 U.S. Senior Open set to begin this week, Bland is MIA … for a truly head-scratching reason.
Here’s what he had to say about his decision on Tuesday.
https://twitter.com/Cleeks_GolfClub/status/1937620325208060242
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Skipping the chance to defend a major title at the age of 52 in order to finish top-24 in the LIV season standings a bold move, Cotton. So bold, that many golf fans began speculating that Bland is contractually obligated to play LIV Golf Dallas this weekend, instead of defending the biggest title of his career. Whether or not that’s true is a question for the agents and lawyers, but if we take Bland at his word, he’s simply committed to being the best Cleek he can be this season.
It could also have something to do with the fact that Cam Davis, last year’s LIV Dallas winner, reportedly took home $1.6 million while the U.S. Senior Open winner’s purse will be $720,000 for the eighth year running. That’s the cynical view, but perhaps Bland—like Tom Brady before him—is taking a discount to help build an unstoppable LIV dynasty. As the old saying goes, there is no “I” in Cleeks.
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Main Image: Brennan Asplen
