Richard Bland Proves It’s Never Too Late At British Masters

It took him 478 tries but finally, at last, 48-year-old Richard Bland is a European Tour winner.

Bland survived a rainy Saturday at the Belfry, holed a 36-foot birdie putt on the 18th, then watched and waited as young Guido Migliozzi  tied him at 13-under par to force a playoff.

On the 18th tee, Bland made sure he carried the water and would end up with an incredibly bad break.  Forget the fact that Migliozzi was in the fairway more than 50 yards ahead of him, Bland found himself in an old divot with just north of 200 yards in.  His five-wood barely got more than 10-15 feet in the air but he managed to stay on the back fringe, about 45 feet from the hole.

Migliozzi had just 133 in and hit a so-so shot that left him 30 feet from a birdie.

Bland hit a great lag putt within three feet then watched Migliozzi run his putt six feet past the hole.  All the pressure came off when Migliozzi missed, made bogey and Bland had just over two feet for his victory and he made the winner with ease.

“I just haven’t got the words,” Bland said as he covered his face with his cap, his face showed the kind of relief that comes when years of perseverance pay off.

As he settled himself, Bland reflected on his amazing feat.

“It’s probably going to take a few days to sink in,” he said. “It’s what I’ve worked for for 20 years. I’ve had a few close calls and I assume someone up there was looking down on me quite favorably today.  A big incentive for me this year was to get to 500 events and this will allow me to do that, which I’ll be hugely proud of.”

He can also be proud of his closing 66 on a day when rain fell for most of the round.  “I loved it down the stretch out there. I had a one shot lead with six holes to play and hit the shots when I needed to and that’s a huge confidence boost going forwards.

“Who knows?” Bland mused, “maybe it’s like buses. None come around for ages and then two come along in quick succession.”

Bland lost his Tour card in 2019 and had to go back to the Challenge Tour.  “I was 46 (years-old) at the time: what am I going to do for the next three or four years? I’m getting fatter as it is, I’m only going to be getting worse.  Just get your head down and do the job, no disrespect to the other players, I wasn’t there to make any friends. I did make friends and it was great but it was just purely, get your head down, get the job done and get back to where I felt I belong.”

British Masters Final Scoreboard:

Phil Mickelson Will Play In 2021 U.S. Open:

At first Phil Mickelson was playing hard-to-get, saying he was “not sure” if he’d accept a special invitation to play in next month’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

It was surprising to think Lefty would turn that down, considering the event is in his old home town of San Diego.

Well, Lefty was a terrible bluffer as he WILL PLAY.

He’s accepted the USGA’s “Special Invitation” to compete June 17-20 on the South Course at Torrey Pines.

Phil is ranked a lowly No. 116 in the world ranking and was scheduled to play a 36-hole sectional qualifier on June 7, the Monday after the Memorial, in Columbus, Ohio.

“Phil Mickelson’s incredible USGA playing record and overall career achievements are among the most noteworthy in the game’s history,” USGA CEO Mike Davis, who is retiring this summer, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to welcome him to this year’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.”