Transitioning from gaming to golf is no easy feat, but Jonas Mårtensson is doing just that as General Manager of Cleeks GC on LIV Golf. Known for his role in creating Minecraft, Jonas talks to Golf Digest Middle East about combining his business experience with his love of golf to rebrand a team to become the “Yankees of golf”.

Jonas Mårtensson

Jonas, you’re just over a year into your role as General Manager of Cleeks GC—has the experience lined up with what you expected?
I don’t think I had any expectations. I didn’t really know what to expect. It’s the first time I’ve worked in sport, so I didn’t have any strong preconceptions about the role. But thanks to my great team, we’ve already grown a lot over the past year and gained a lot of experience together.

With your background at Minecraft and then moving across to LIV Golf, that’s quite a bold career pivot. What has surprised you since stepping into the world of sport?
I’d never worked in golf before, so in a way it was a bold move. Going from gaming to golf might seem like a leap between two very different worlds – but to me, it makes perfect sense. What I’ve always done is build communities and create platforms where people connect. That’s exactly what LIV Golf and the team format are bringing to this sport. It feels a bit like working in a start-up again – fast-paced, full of potential, and driven by passion. But because golf has always been close to my heart, working with the Cleeks team in the LIV Golf League is simply more fun.

You’ve said golf has always been a significant part of your life. What kind of golfer are you?
I usually play first thing in the morning here in Spain and then have the rest of the day free. I picked up playing the game quite early – around 11 or 12 – and played until I was 18, then work and family took over for a while. Let’s just say I hit the ball long and wide! My handicap is 3. I’ve always played a lot in Spain, so when I moved here, I joined a club to play as regularly as possible. But yeah, I like starting the day with 9 holes – it frees me up for everything else.

You’ve described your ambition is to turn the Cleeks into the “Yankees of golf.” What does that look like?
Yes, well we believe golf is more than just a sport. We’re not just building a team – we’re creating a brand that blends tradition with creativity, connects with culture, and gives people a way to see themselves in the game. My vision is to create a global brand that people recognise instantly – whether or not they follow golf. That means delivering strong performances of course, but also bringing personality, storytelling, and cultural relevance to everything we do.

Have you been able to take lessons from building brands like Minecraft and Happy Socks over to Cleeks GC?
Partly, yes. Minecraft, Happy Socks, and Cleeks are very different brands, but the fundamentals of targeting and growing a brand are quite similar.

How does the apparel line fit into the strategy?
I love seeing fans and golf enthusiasts wearing Cleeks gear – it reminds me of how people proudly wear Yankees merchandise. That’s the vision: for Cleeks to grow into a lifestyle brand that resonates far beyond the world of golf.

You brought in artist Jacob Felländer—what’s the thinking behind blending art and golf into Cleeks’ identity?
Cleeks is about more than just golf – it’s about culture. Fashion, art, and music are all part of the world we’re building. Collaborations like the one with artist Jacob Felländer and the streetwear brand Public Drip show how we’re redefining what golf can represent. Bringing in a respected artist felt like a natural step. We’ve got some exciting partnerships coming up in both art and fashion.

Martin Kaymer Cleeks GC LIV Golf

LIV is changing how golf is presented. Are you trying to do something similar with how Cleeks presents itself as a team and brand?
Absolutely. We believe golf should be accessible, inclusive, and forward-looking. We want Cleeks to be more than just a golf brand – we’re positioned at the intersection of sport, art, and fashion, where new fans can feel welcome and inspired.

Is there an audience you’re focusing on?
Cleeks should be for everyone – both the younger generation, who connect with the brand through Adrian and Freddy, and the older ones like me, who identify more with Martin or Richard.

You’ve also talked about wanting Cleeks to leave a legacy within the community—what does that mean?
Through the league, we’re actively involved in youth and community programmes around the world – aiming to make a lasting impact. Golf has the power to inspire and drive positive change, both on and off the course.

With your experience in tech and gaming, how would you describe your leadership style in a golf setting?
Has it developed at all? I don’t think it’s changed. I’m a very typical Swedish guy – straight-talking and no-nonsense. My leadership style hasn’t really shifted from Minecraft to golf. It’s always been based on teamwork, sharing ideas, and collective creativity.

Looking ahead, what does success look like for Cleeks GC – both on and off the course?
Of course, it’s about playing a successful season – but also about inspiring new audiences and putting greater focus on the team itself, which is what truly sets the LIV Golf League apart from other tours.

This article was featured in the August 2025 issue of Golf Digest Middle East. Click here for a digital issue of the full magazine

Follow Golf Digest Middle East on social media

Instagram

X

Facebook

YouTube

Main Image: LIV Golf

The post Inside the Cleeks rebrand with Jonas Mårtensson appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Interestingly, Samooja opted out of playing in this week’s $2 million International Series Japan event, choosing instead to accept an invite to compete in the more familiar surroundings of the HotelPlanner Tour and the Challenge de España.

A first look at our venue this week #ChallengedeEspana pic.twitter.com/GVC6xWM3kl

— HotelPlanner Tour (@HPlanner_Tour) May 6, 2025

The ninth event of the season on the 2025 Road To Mallorca sees the HotelPlanner Tour touchdown in mainland Europe, and this week it is being hosted by Fontanals Golf Club in Girona, a former DP World Tour Qualifying School stop. With a prize pot of €300,000 on offer, it’s a far cry from the $20 million purse Samooja would be used to from his time on LIV Golf.

The Finn graduated from the HotelPlanner Tour in 2018 after winning the Hainan Open and comfortably retained his card on the DP World Tour for the following five consecutive seasons, never finishing lower than 85th in the Race to Dubai Rankings. His time on the DP World Tour was highlighted by a maiden victory at the Porsche European Open in 2022, before his path took him to LIV.

Martin Kaymer Cleeks GC LIV Golf

Flying Finn to LIV “The guys that aren’t happy about it just don’t say anything”

He played the 2024 LIV Golf League season for Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks GC, having earned his spot through the LIV Golf Promotions event in Abu Dhabi at the end of 2023, and took home a tidy $2,132,158 in 2024 alone – despite his best result being a tie for 14th at LIV Golf Singapore.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Golf Digest Middle East (@golfdigestme)

After a full season with Kaymer, Richard Bland and Adrian Meronk on the Cleeks, Kalle narrowly missed out on retaining his playing rights in the Saudi-backed league, finishing 49th in the Individual Rankings — one spot inside the Drop Zone. That, however, didn’t seem to be enough for team captain Kaymer to re-sign him, instead opting for Denmark’s Frederik Kjettrup.

The 37-year-old also competed in a handful of events on the Asian Tour’s International Series to maintain his Official World Golf Ranking throughout 2024, even teeing it up earlier this season in India and Macau, although he never finished better than a tie for 14th. He held a full card for the 2025 International Series as a result of finishing in the LIV Golf Drop Zone in 2024.

Samooja isn’t the only LIV Golf connection at the Challenge de España — current Fireballs GC member Luis Masaveu is also in the field, having arrived straight from his tie for 20th at LIV Golf Korea.

Fittingly, the Challenge de España this week has served as a launchpad for many a player. A certain Brooks Koepka claimed the title in 2013 — just two weeks before earning automatic promotion to what was then the European Tour — and says his time on the HotelPlanner Tour was “the most fun I’ve ever had playing golf”.

The rest, as they say, is history.

READ MORE: Get your FREE 2025 May edition of Golf Digest Middle East here!

Main Image: R&A via Getty Images

The post Former LIV Golfer returns to roots at €300k HotelPlanner Tour event in Spain appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

How much would you spend to rep your beloved teams? That’s a question franchises have been asking since the advent of the forward pass, and time and time again fans have given the same answer:

A lot.

Hats, shirts, jerseys, koozies, key chains, Christmas ornaments, drink glasses, bumper stickers and, of course, bobbleheads. You name it, and fans will gobble it up, especially if the product on the field is inspiring. But that’s the trick, to sell lots and lots of things to fans, you must first have fans. That’s where Cleeks Golf Club’s latest venture—a Cleeks-emblazoned weekend bag designed by bespoke leather craftsman Martin Key—stumbles. The price is where it falls flat on its face.

LIV Golf's Cleeks have announced a partnership with a fashion designer to produce a $4,800 weekend bag. pic.twitter.com/HUZlwUSWuV

— Brendan Porath (@BrendanPorath) February 11, 2025

We are proud to announce our collaboration with renowned artisan Martin Key, bringing to life a weekend bag that embodies tradition and innovation.

Learn more at: https://t.co/Y5njX3mTuM#CleeksGolfClub #MartinKeyforCLEEKS ⁰#TraditionRefreshed #Golf #Leather pic.twitter.com/BRBfPiKPf6

— Cleeks Golf Club (@Cleeks_GolfClub) February 11, 2025

The post The price of Cleeks Golf Club’s new signature duffel bag will make you spit out your drink appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Anyway, this huge shakeup included a new logo and a dramatic promo video featuring a clip of team member Adrian Meronk taking a shower. We kid you not. Have a look for yourself:

We are Cleeks Golf Club — Tradition Refreshed#CleeksGolfClub #TraditionRefreshed #LIVgolf #Golf pic.twitter.com/B7pGAYI6dm

— Cleeks Golf Club (@Cleeks_GolfClub) January 22, 2025

Tradition refreshed. Got it. But, incredibly, it gets even more random. Part of the team’s strategy to promote this rollout included making a video directed at PGA Tour star and Golf Twitter King Max Homa. By referencing a Homa tweet. From nearly two years ago. Again, we kid you not. Have a look again:

Finally we can clarify @Maxhoma #CleeksGolfClub #TraditionRefreshed #LIVgolf #Golf https://t.co/zy4dzmfflO pic.twitter.com/LFcZlFYEZP

— Cleeks Golf Club (@Cleeks_GolfClub) January 22, 2025

OK then. Well, as always, Homa had a perfect response to that:

Did u guys forget to press send 2 years ago or something? https://t.co/RDHE4ZGCkU

— max homa (@Maxhoma) January 23, 2025

Boom, roasted. But then it led to this awkward retort from LIV Golf’s main handle:

We’ll trade you Major advice for social media advice…

— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) January 23, 2025

Burn? We guess? But also a compliment? Anyway, it’s just another example of why the PGA Tour and LIV needs to (finally) get that deal done.

The post Max Homa, LIV Golf have super awkward Twitter exchange appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

All of which adds to the disappointment the former World No. 1 feels as he relates some of the abuse he was subjected to in the wake of his arrival on the Saudi-backed circuit as captain of the Cleeks GC.

“I wish everyone had treated each other in a respectful way back then,” Kaymer says. “Had that happened, I would have missed a few people on the DP World Tour. But after the way we were treated, I soon discovered that most of the relationships I had were based on superficial stuff. I have found out who my friends really are.

“I have had to listen to players who are on the board of the European Tour bad mouth me,” he continues. “They have talked so much rubbish about certain things. I have to laugh, especially as I saw them talking to LIV. They wanted to be here themselves. So while I respect them as players, do I miss them as people? Not really.”

One tournament particularly sticks out in Kaymer’s mind. While invited to play at the 2022 BMW International Open in Munich, an event he won in 2008, the reception he received was frosty at best, including a post-round TV interview on Sky Sports that in Kaymer’s view made no attempt to hide the negative attitude regarding his career decision.

“Another player who is on the DP World Tour board said some things to me after that event,” Kaymer added. “Right after that event, he told me that, had he been me, he would have taken the LIV contract and told everyone he wasn’t ever going to play on the DP World Tour again. He said it was wrong for me to be there in Germany and play.

“I found his view ridiculous, especially when I later saw him walking into a house in Florida to speak to Greg Norman. I mean, come on. It’s a joke. He thought I shouldn’t be able to play in my own country, in an event I have won and in front of people who want me to be there. That was his position. And he did it in such an aggressive way. I mean, why did he even care? It is my career.”

With the passage of time many views have softened on both sides of the LIV/DP World divide. Or, at least, shifted.

“Back then they were against us,” Kaymer says. “Now there is a lot of jealousy. I believe a lot of DP World Tour players think the tour should have gone with LIV. The PGA Tour only dealt with the DP World Tour because they had to do so if they wanted to keep the Europeans away from LIV. That’s how it feels to me. I have to be honest. If you are jealous and want the things I have, say so. But don’t talk rubbish about me.”

On the course at least, things have been pretty quiet for a while now, which is good and bad. Sidelined by a wrist injury that saw him spend six months on the sidelines back in 2022, Kaymer has struggled to regain first fitness, then form. But things are looking up.

“This is the first time since 2021 that I am playing injury-free,” he reports. “It’s been a long road to where I am now. But I am excited by what lies ahead, especially the thought of not taking pain-killers. I’m turning 40 in a couple of weeks, which I mention only because all the tests I have had done say that my body is that of a 30-year-old. That’s good to hear. I feel healthy and I have a good plan in place for the next few weeks until LIV starts here again early next year.

“2022 was tough. I could barely play. I couldn’t practice. All I did was play the LIV events. 2023 I came back after the surgery, so it was ‘normal’ that I didn’t get the best out of my game. But this year really has been frustrating. I thought that, having had surgery at the end of 2022, I would be OK. But I wasn’t. My wrist was still an issue. So I had good days and bad days.”

Mostly bad, as even a quick glance at Kaymer’s 2024 play on LIV reveals. In 13 starts, his best effort was a T-9 finish in Houston. In almost exactly half of his rounds (20 of 39) he failed to break par. That is ugly stuff from a man good enough to win 11 times on the DP World Tour.

“My grip changed, which is one of the toughest things for any golfer to handle,” says Kaymer, playing this week at the PIF Saudi International, where he is tied for 58th heading into the final round. “I was standing over the ball not feeling comfortable. It has taken a while for that to get better. Thankfully, I now have a grip that allows me to feel comfortable. Going forward, it’s all about gaining confidence and believing in myself. I’m hitting more and more good shots and really feeling more and more confident about my technique. I should be 100 percent ready for the 2025 season.

“Being away from the game was difficult,” he reflects. “I still felt like I should be out there. But I wasn’t, which led to me thinking too much. My body just wouldn’t let me do the work you need to do to compete at this level. Maybe I was a little too arrogant. I thought, even at 60-70 percent, I could still keep up. But I couldn’t. I was shorter off the tee for a long time. You can’t compete on tour unless you are long. But I thought I could. I was wrong.”

Life is looking up though. At this stage of his career and his life, Kaymer is seeing more positives than negatives, even if the prospect of him captaining Europe in the Ryder Cup, a long-held ambition, appears remote.

“I’m not really interested in playing 25 tournaments every year,” he says. “I like the team aspect of LIV. I enjoy all of that. Plus, I don’t want to be away from my family 30 weeks a year. That’s not for me at this stage of my life. I’m not interested in living in America. If you want to play on the PGA Tour you have to live there.

“Why did I join LIV?” he continues. “Because it is fun and it’s a great project. I enjoy all of that. Plus, I don’t want to be away from my family 30 weeks a year. That’s not for me at this stage of my life. I am certainly more humble than I was three years ago. I appreciate good golf more. I took it for granted before. Every week I thought I could win. Then I went from that to just trying to get through the week with a decent score. That’s a big adjustment. But I am getting there. I can hit all the shots I used to hit. I’m just as long off the tee. I’m not scared to hit through the ball when I’m in the rough. I can commit again.”

No surprise there, of course.

Main Image: Getty Images / Cliff Hawkins

The post ‘I have found who my friends really are’: Two-time major winner still angry over criticism for jumping to LIV Golf appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

First reported by Spanish publication Ten Golf, the 20-year-old from Spain, who is only two tournaments into his rookie season on the DP World Tour, has already made an impression. He finished 6th in last week’s BMW Australian PGA Championship and 23rd in the recently concluded ISPS HANDA Australian Open.

The 2024 Challenge Tour graduate, who now sits 4th in the Race to Dubai rankings, received an offer from Germany’s Martin Kaymer, the Cleeks GC Captain, to fill the void in the team left by Finland’s Kale Samooja. Samooja’s contract was not renewed after he failed to secure his spot for the upcoming LIV Golf season.

According to Ten Golf, Ayora considered the offer for a few days before ultimately turning it down.

LIV Golf and the DP World Tour lining up their own separate deal

Ayora, who is managed by Seve Ballesteros’ son Javier, only turned professional after the 2023 Eisenhower Trophy and quickly made his mark. He tied for 21st in his professional DP World Tour debut at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open and finished tied for 12th in his Challenge Tour debut at the SDC Open.

A PGA Tour debut followed when he made the cut at the Puerto Rico Open, but it was on the Challenge Tour where he truly shone. He recorded three top-10 finishes before claiming victory at the Rosa Challenge Tour in Poland.

https://twitter.com/Challenge_Tour/status/1852474842848674206

He ended the season with runner-up finishes at the Hangzhou Open and the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A, carrying significant momentum into his maiden DP World Tour campaign.

The Cleeks team currently consists of captain Martin Kaymer, Richard Bland, and Adrian Meronk.

It remains unclear who else the Cleeks have been in discussions with, but a potential signing could come from the winner of the International Series Rankings following next week’s PIF Saudi International in Riyadh, or the champion of the LIV Golf Promotions event the following week.

Main Image: Challenge Tour X

The post 20-year-old Spanish pro rejects two-year contract from LIV Golf appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

You might have seen online Dustin Johnson busy fishing on his boat, Bryson DeChambeau out and about as the “Content King” making YouTube videos, but you might not have noticed one other LIV Golfer who has been engaging with the game of golf back in his home country in Europe.

LIV Golfer Adrian Meronk was spotted walking the fairways at the Challenge Tour’s Rosa Golf Challenge, supporting his 14 fellow countrymen taking part in the 21^st event of the 2024 Road to Mallorca.

Before Meronk made a name for himself on the DP World Tour, which ultimately led to him joining LIV Golf at the beginning of 2024, the Polish star was plying his trade on the European Challenge Tour between 2017 and 2019, at the same year collecting his first professional bit of silverware at the Open de Portugal.

The 31-year-old Dubai-based Pole was only in the highest regards of his time spent on the Challenge Tour and how it developed him as a player, leading to his graduation onto the DP World Tour where he would collect a further four titles in just 15 months.

“It was huge. It’s the best place to develop as a player. (We would) compete every week on the highest level with such a good competition and good level of players as well. The margin was so small and I learned a lot,” said the 2019 graduate.

“I played two and a half years on the Challenge Tour and it gave me a lot of lessons and prepared me for the main tour.”

Meronk continued about the importance of having the Challenge Tour back in his home country of Poland after it’s 15-year hiatus.

“It’s massive. I remember 15 years ago (2009) it was being played on my golf course (Toya Golf and Country Club), and I played it as a junior aged 16. To have it back here in Poland is huge for players, juniors, people and golf overall. I’m really happy about it and happy to see golf back at the highest level in Poland.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Challenge Tour (@challengetour)

Even though golf is still regarded as a new sport in Poland, the Cleeks GC member was upbeat in the fact that the developmental tour is vital in hosting events like this, and is what is key for getting people into the game of golf.

“It will definitely grow the game. It’s great to get the juniors involved in the tournament even as working as volunteers this week, they can watch the professionals and see what they need to do in order to compete as a professional. Some even got to play in the pro-am so it’s a great place to learn what it’s about.

“Even for people who don’t know about golf in Poland it’s good for them to see that we host such a big event, maybe will help some new people start their journey and play golf.

“I think that’s the key to popularise golf in Poland and that’s my mission and the mission of this tournament to grow golf in Poland and I think it’s doing a good job.”

Next up for Adrian will be LIV Golf Chicago where he and the 53 other LIV Golfer’s will be competing for the customary $4 million winner’s check from the overall $20 million purse, before then heading to Dallas the following week for the $50 million LIV Golf Team Championships.

A far cry from the 270,000 euro prize pot that was being played for in Poland where the winner, Ayora Angel, pocketed 43,200 euros and former Dubai-based Swede Christofer Rahm 17,500 euro for his tie for third.

The post LIV Golfer spotted supporting Challenge Tour event, in which Rahm finished third appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Now aged 51, the Cleeks GC player was a pivotal part of his team’s success in claiming their hard earned silverware at LIV Golf Houston in May, a victory that had been knocking on the door prior.

“It was great to get the first win for the team at Houston a few weeks ago now,” said the Englishman. “We run at it in a close second in Singapore, so to back it up with a win was great.”

The putt that made Richard Bland a Senior PGA Champion! #SrPGAChamp pic.twitter.com/hhSniYuxAa

— Senior PGA Champ (@seniorpgachamp) May 26, 2024

Bland came into the event at Golf Club of Houston off the back of his maiden major triumph at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. A win that Bland was both delighted for but at the same time not neglecting the hard work his team mates of Martin Kaymer, Adrian Meronk and Kalle Samooja had put in for their final round heroics in Houston.

“The win at Harbor Shores was great, but that’s all forgotten about now. In golf as you know, it gets forgotten pretty quick once you are into the next week, it’s all focus on that.”

All that focus seemed to pay off!

What a performance on Championship Sunday

The @Cleeks_GC are your team champions of LIV Golf Houston #LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/TazU3vaeqb

— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) June 9, 2024

“Obviously I’m super proud of what happened a few weeks ago, but I’m also super proud of these guys and there is definitely more to come from us.”

Blandy will continue to ride the crest of a wave as he hits his “home event” on the 2024 LIV Golf schedule, along with the U.S. Senior Open in his back pocket, as tournament 11 is situated on UK soil at the newly appointed JCB Golf and Country Club, a stone’s throw from the birthplace of Bland.

“I was born up there, then we moved down to Southampton when I was two or three years old. If anyone asks where I’m from now I say Southampton, but Burton-on-Trent is on my passport though.

“But it still makes it extra special. Whenever you play in front of your home crowd it’s always a little bit more special. When I used to play DP World Tour events, we always used to get amazing support and we have had that on LIV Golf at Centurion Club, so I’m sure it’s going to be the same at the JCB.”

The founder of JCB, once famously said that there was “No place for second best”, and with that, a masterpiece was created!

Championship golf, exclusive stays, warm hospitality and a lifetime of unforgettable experiences. pic.twitter.com/O4E7DLXmBv

— JCB Golf & Country Club (@JCBGolfCC) May 25, 2024

Even though the JCB maybe a new golf course, in the grand scheme of things, it’s an ultra-exclusive venue that comes with an abundance of firepower.

Depending on the weather, it might not be playing the longest, but it’s all about the quadrants on the greens because of the undulations. If you can control your golf ball and get it into the right spot on the green you will be able to give yourself a birdie chance. If you miss those spots, and the speed of the greens is up, it will make it tricky, so approach play is a premium.

Main Image: Ryan Lochhead/PGA of America/Getty Images

The post Bland – Born Again appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Kaymer, though, insisted that Bland go first.

“He was pushing me out the door,” Bland said.

With good reason. Members of the onsite LIV Golf Andalucia staff, as well as club personnel at Real Club Valderrama, were waiting for Bland just outside the clubhouse for a surprise celebration of his back-to-back senior major victories. He was greeted with Blandy head cutouts, thundersticks, poster boards with slogans (“BLANDEMONIUM ON THE BLANDEPODIUM”) and was gifted a bottle of 2013 Dom Pérignon champagne.

It was a brief but fitting tribute for the 51-year-old Englishman, who is enjoying an impressive run of success the last two months with his Senior PGA Championship and U.S. Senior Open titles, along with the Cleeks’ first-ever team victory at LIV Golf Houston.

No wonder Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” was being piped in via a nearby loudspeaker as he high-fived the staff.

“One thing about LIV, no matter what you do, they make it very special if you do something outside of LIV,” Bland said. “That’s why I love being out here.”

Following his U.S. Senior Open win on the fourth playoff hole at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island, Bland took some much-needed downtime with his family before travelling to Spain for this week’s tournament. He also fulfilled his promise to older brother Heath by giving him the replica of the Senior PGA trophy that the PGA of America had sent him. Bland dedicated his win at Harbor Shores in Michigan to his brother, who is battling cancer.

“It was special to be able to give him that,” Bland said. “I’m sure whenever he looks at it, he’ll look at it with pride. If that’s the case, then I’m a happy man.”

After Bland followed with his victory at the U.S. Senior Open, he said he would keep that second trophy for himself. “The U.S. Open, this one’s mine,” he noted with a smile.

The decisive shot in the playoff against Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita came from a greenside bunker on the fourth playoff hole, when Bland hit the flagstick and was left with a tap-in for par while Fujita was in the process of making a bogey.

LIV Golf

Bland, who has only seen video of the shot a handful of times, said at the time that his bunker shot wasn’t a difficult one, but he offered a bit more perspective on Tuesday.

“If you’re playing with your friends on a day out, it’s not that tough,” he said. “Obviously the situation makes it together. … To play that shot exactly the way you want to play it is very satisfying.”

Bland would love to continue his winning form this month in the two LIV Golf events, either this week at Valderrama or back home in England on July 26-28 at JCB Golf and Country Club. An original LIV Golf member who has started all 29 events in the league’s brief history, Bland’s best finishes are two T3s, in Bangkok in 2022 and at Greenbrier last year.

Winning a LIV Golf event against a field that includes 14 major champions, including reigning U.S. Open champ Bryson DeChambeau and Valderrama favorites Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia, as well as a bunch of young guns – some of whom aren’t even half his age – poses a significantly different challenge than winning senior-only events, of which he’s one of the younger players.

“To win a LIV event is a whole different kettle of fish, just with the quality of players you’re up against,” Bland said. “You’re going to have unbelievable support this week for Jon and Sergio, and rightly so. If it doesn’t happen this week, maybe at JCB. To do it in front of a home crowd … well, the main thing is if I play well, then hopefully I’ll be there come Sunday.”

Lately, he’s been there on quite a number of Sundays.

Images: Supplied

READ MORE: First Look: LIV Golf Andalucía at Real Club Valderrama

The post Don’t stop him now: Bland receives warm welcome as two-time senior major champ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.