Why the US Senior Open champion won’t defend his title this week

By , News editor and writer. Probably entertainer third.

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Richard Bland will not defend his US Senior Open title.

There will be a whole raft of champions taking part at The Broadmoor for the third senior major of the season. Except one notable name will be missing…

Bernhard Langer, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Stewart Cink, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Mike Weir, Michael Campbell.

All legends of the game that will be trying to stop Angel Cabrera winning three senior majors in a row at this week’s US Senior Open.

They won’t, however, need to worry about defending champion Richard Bland at The Broadmoor.

Twelve months ago, and just weeks after lifting his first major on the senior circuit, the Englishman eventually saw off two-time Japan Tour MVP Hiroyuki Fujita on the fourth hole of a playoff at Newport Country Club to make it a quickfire double and spark talk of a ‘Bland Slam’.

The only thing that stopped him is the fact a number of the senior majors clash with LIV events. And that’s the case this week.

Bland will tee up at LIV Golf Dallas this week as he looks to focus on maintaining his place in the league he’s played on since its inauguration in 2022.

With five events left in the season, Bland is 21st in LIV’s standings – ahead of the likes of Tyrrell Hatton, Dustin Johnson, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and, notably, his Cleeks Golf Club captain Martin Kaymer.  

Four top-15 finishes in eight events so far this season have helped, but Bland is just two points above LIV’s ‘Open Zone’. If he falls into that, he faces the possibility of being traded or released.

In a statement posted on Cleeks’ social channels, Bland wrote: “I’m incredibly proud of winning last year’s US Senior Open, a career highlight that I will always cherish.

“I’m fully committed to playing the 14-event LIV Golf schedule and honoring my opportunity with the Cleeks and the league, where my goal is to finish in the top 24 and once again secure my roster spot for next season.

“I wish the very best to this week’s competitors at The Broadmoor.”

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