In the final round of the U.S. Senior Open, Richard Bland demonstrated exceptional golfing prowess by executing a remarkable 4-under 66. This outstanding performance enabled him to catch up with the tournament leader, Hiroyuki Fujita. Due to unforeseen weather conditions, the conclusion of the event was postponed until Monday morning.
In a thrilling turn of events, Bland showcased his mastery
by executing a precise chip shot that struck the pin, ultimately securing his
victory over Fujita on the fourth playoff hole. This triumph marks Bland’s
second consecutive senior major title, solidifying his position as a formidable
competitor in the golfing world.
The Senior PGA champion gained five shots on Fujita in the
final round, which was delayed by thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon with eight
holes remaining. When the golfers returned to the par-70, 7,024-yard Newport
Country Club on Monday, Fujita’s consistency — he hit 38 straight fairways in
regulation before the rain delay — had abandoned him.
After both posted 13 under in regulation and matched scores
in a two-hole, aggregate playoff and the first hole of sudden death, the
golfers returned to the par-4, 466-yard 18th hole for the fourth time of the
day. Bland’s shot from a greenside bunker caught the pin and settled two inches
from the cup; Fujita missed a 25-footer to prolong the tournament, and Bland
tapped in to claim his second senior major in as many tries.
“To get this one as well, to go two for two, is beyond my
wildest dreams,” said Bland, who won the Senior PGA at Harbor Shores last
month. “I was just hoping going into the PGA that I was good enough to contend;
I hadn’t played against these guys. But to be here with two majors — I’m at a
loss for words at the moment.”
Richard Green shot 71 and finished third, one stroke ahead
of Steve Stricker. The 2019 champion and the runner-up in each of the last two
years, Stricker shot 66 in each of the first three rounds but turned in a 73 in
the fourth, making a bogey on the 72nd hole that dropped him into sole
possession of fourth place.
Fujita had at least a share of the lead since shooting 63 in
the opening round and he protected it with an unprecedented consistency: He hit
54 of 56 fairways in regulation — the most ever in a U.S. Senior Open. He
returned to the course wearing the same-style shirt he had on Thursday, but
everything else had changed.
The 5-foot-6 two-time MVP on the Japanese tour hit his very
first shot on Monday morning into the rough, making bogeys on three of the
first four holes after play resumed. Bland, who started the final round five
strokes behind and still trailed by three when they returned after the delay,
took the lead with birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 and went to the 72nd
hole with a chance to win in regulation.
But he drove his tee shot into a fairway bunker that
wouldn’t even be in play if not for the stiff wind coming in from the sailing
hotbed of Narragansett Bay. He made bogey, and when Fujita finished with a 71
they were were both at 13 under through 72 holes.
“We were chasing him all week. He had the lead pretty much
wire-to-wire,” Bland said. “I made a great birdie on 15 to go one in front but
kind of tripped over myself on the last.”
Bland would have more chances at the par-4, 466-yard 18th
hole.
Three more, to be precise.
After both men went par-bogey on Nos. 10 and 18 in the
two-hole playoff, they went back to the 18th tee; they would keep
returning until it was settled. On their fourth hole, Bland put his approach
into a greenside bunker but then saved par. Fujita rolled his last chance just
inside the coin Bland had placed as a marker.
“I started the day with a three-shot lead. I didn’t play my
best and got into a playoff,” Fujita said. “I definitely still played well, and
I put together a good performance. It would have been better if I won. It’s a
little disappointing I lost. However, I’m proud of myself.”
A member of the Saudi-funded LIV tour, Bland didn’t win on
the European tour until his 478th start, at the age of 48. He only
earned a spot in the U.S. Senior Open by winning the Senior PGA Championship at
Harbor Shores last month. He only got his spot in that one by winning the 2021
British Masters.
Now he is the third golfer to win his first two starts in
senior majors, along with Arnold Palmer and Alex Cejka. He also joins 1995 U.S.
Amateur champion Tiger Woods and 2006 U.S. Women’s Open winner Annika Sorenstam
with a victory at Newport, one of the five founding members of the USGA.
“To be in that bracket, I’m probably doing a little
disservice, to be honest with you,” Bland said. “To be in that kind of bracket
is very, very special and something you can only dream of.”