Richard Bland’s 2024 Kitchen Aid Senior PGA Championship triumph was one of the more popular victories of last year.
The Englishman had endeared himself to the golf world three years earlier in May 2021, in his 478th start on the European Tour with Bland achieving his very first victory in highly emotional scenes at the Betfred British Masters at The Belry in England.
At then age 48, he became the oldest first-time winner on the European Tour; only fellow Englishman Malcolm MacKenzie, with 509, had played more tournaments before claiming his first win on the tour.
Richard Bland proudly holds aloft the PGA Seniors Championship trophy. (Image PGA of Americca)
A month later in June 2021, Bland played in the U.S. Open for just the second time in his career. At 48 years old, he became the oldest player to ever hold a share of the lead of the U.S. Open after two rounds, however he fell back over the weekend to finish in a tie for 50th. With eight top-10 finishes during the 2021 European Tour season, Bland finished a career-best 11th place on the Race to Dubai rankings.
In January 2022, the golfer affectiionately known as ‘Blandy’ finished as runner-up at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, losing to Viktor Hovland in a playoff.
Five months later he joined LIV Golf.
Then in May 2023, Bland applied for entry to the 2023 Senior Open Championship, to be played in late July, for which he had fulfilled one exemption category as a former European Tour winner being at the exact age of 50 years at the time of the championship. However, Bland was denied entry due to outstanding fines to the European Tour, related to breaching conflicting tournament regulations.
A year later, Bland won his first senior major at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
In July 2024, he won his second senior major, defeating Hiroyuki Fujita in a playoff to win the U.S. Senior Open.
y In a quest to complete the “Bland Slam” (winning all senior majors in which he was eligible for), Bland was denied entry into The Senior Open Championship at the end of July at Carnoustie. Having not paid outstanding fines to the European Tour (DP World Tour), as the case in 2023, Bland was again denied entry to play.
Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD will host the 2025 Senior PGA Championship. LIV’s very own Richard Bland, last year’s victor, will seek to defend his title against top competition at one of America’s most beautiful golf clubs.
Bland will be playing his second PGA Championship of sorts two weeks in a row after finishing T37 with a final score of 1-over par at The PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
As a whole body of work, Bland’s performance was solid and encouraging for the immediate future.
Shooting rounds of 70, 68, 76, and 71 – it was surprisingly the front nine that gave Bland fits rather than the back nine with its infamous Green Mile that sunk the hopes of Jon Rahm and a number of other would-be contenders.
BLANDY @livgolf_league BACK TO DEFEND ….
His brilliant @seniorpgachamp title victory from a year ago this week at Congressional ⛳️
Read: https://t.co/kIVzDDETjX
PGAofAmerica
✅ @TOURMISS pic.twitter.com/FzXLf5wu6K
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) May 21, 2025
Of his performance and chances, Bland said: “I’m not saying I would have given Scottie a run for his money, but I felt like I certainly – there was a top 10 to be had there for me, which would have been an unbelievable week”.
Despite the outcome, Bland represented both his Cleeks and the entirety of LIV golf well.
Sitting in 17th place in the individual standings and squarely in LIV’s Lock Zone, Bland has put together another masterful body of work.
Adding another trophy or two in 2025 would mark the most successful seasons in his career.
What to Expect for the Opening Round
With heavy rainfall lasting most of Wednesday, the field was not able to get in a final proper practice round.
The PGA Senior Championship field will go into Thursday guessing how the greens will feel and searching for any newly swamped areas that could muddy up the balls.
Fortunately, clear skies and sunshine are expected Thursday afternoon until the tournament’s conclusion.
Blandy will tee off at 1:48 pm local time on the 10th and may be able to get off to a good start with favourable weather and a great hole to start off on!
Congressional’s website lists the 511-yard par 5 10th as, “At just over 500 yards from the tips the 10th hole is reachable for plenty of players, particularly for players who are able to wrap a draw around the trees off the tee.
The front of the green is wide open and thus receptive to aerial or ground shots that are played to the putting surface.
Approach shots that leak right into the greenside bunker need not fear as it is one of the most shallow bunkers on the course and will yield a healthy percentage of up and down efforts.”
The Competition
Last season on his way to win the title, Bland defeated a trio of Aussies in Richard Green (2; -14), Greg Chalmers (3; -13), and Scott Hend (T4; -12).
Fan favourite Ernie Els, who will also be participating this year, finished T6 at 11-under par.
Of course, Angel Cabrera, who just won the Regions Tradition last week figures to be a frontrunner to challenge Bland.
Cabrera tees off at 1:04 PM on the 10th a few groups ahead of Bland. Perhaps this is a preview of our final pairing?
To add some fireworks to the mix, Cabrera has been paired up with Jerry Kelly at the 1:04 tee time.
Kelly was runner-up to Cabrera last week and posted an amazing 19-under par but still fell short to the resurgent Cabrera.
LIV’s Lee Westwood of The Majesticks will be the other LIV representative across from Bland. Currently sitting at 53rd place in the LIV individual standings, Westwood’s season has been disappointing.
His best finish was T25 at the season opener in Jeddah. Perhaps a championship tournament outside LIV is just what Westwood needs to give his season a shot in the arm.
The locale works favourably for Bland and Westwood as the next LIV tournament, LIV Virginia, is only about an hour’s drive away from Congressional Country Club.
LIV’s very own Richard Bland, last year’s victor, will seek to defend his title against top competition at one of America’s most beautiful golf clubs.
Bland will be playing his second PGA Championship of sorts two weeks in a row after finishing T37 with a final score of 1-over par at The PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
As a whole body of work, Bland’s performance was solid and encouraging for the immediate future.
Shooting rounds of 70, 68, 76, and 71 – it was surprisingly the front nine that gave Bland fits rather than the back nine with its infamous Green Mile that sunk the hopes of Jon Rahm and a number of other would-be contenders.
Of his performance and chances, Bland said, “I’m not saying I would have given Scottie a run for his money, but I felt like I certainly – there was a top 10 to be had there for me, which would have been an unbelievable week.
Despite the outcome, Bland represented both his Cleeks and the entirety of LIV golf well.
Sitting in 17th place in the individual standings and squarely in LIV’s Lock Zone, Bland has put together another masterful body of work.
Adding another trophy or two in 2025 would mark the most successful seasons in his career.
What to Expect for the Opening Round
With heavy rainfall lasting most of Wednesday, the field was not able to get in a final proper practice round.
The PGA Senior Championship field will go into Thursday guessing how the greens will feel and searching for any newly swamped areas that could muddy up the balls.
Fortunately, clear skies and sunshine are expected Thursday afternoon until the tournament’s conclusion.
Richard will tee off at 1:48 PM on the 10th and may be able to get off to a good start with favourable weather and a great hole to start off on!
Congressional’s website lists the 511-yard par 5 10th as, “At just over 500 yards from the tips the 10th hole is reachable for plenty of players, particularly for players who are able to wrap a draw around the trees off the tee.
The front of the green is wide open and thus receptive to aerial or ground shots that are played to the putting surface.
Approach shots that leak right into the greenside bunker need not fear as it is one of the most shallow bunkers on the course and will yield a healthy percentage of up and down efforts.”
The Competition
Last season on his way to win the title, Bland defeated a trio of Aussies in Richard Green (2; -14), Greg Chalmers (3; -13), and Scott Hend (T4; -12).
Fan favourite Ernie Els, who will also be participating this year, finished T6 at 11-under par.
Of course, Angel Cabrera, who just won the Regions Tradition last week figures to be a frontrunner to challenge Bland.
Cabrera tees off at 1:04 PM on the 10th a few groups ahead of Bland. Perhaps this is a preview of our final pairing?
To add some fireworks to the mix, Cabrera has been paired up with Jerry Kelly at the 1:04 tee time.
Kelly was runner-up to Cabrera last week and posted an amazing 19-under par but still fell short to the resurgent Cabrera.
LIV’s Lee Westwood of The Majesticks will be the other LIV representative across from Bland. Currently sitting at 53rd place in the LIV individual standings, Westwood’s season has been disappointing.
His best finish was T25 at the season opener in Jeddah. Perhaps a championship tournament outside LIV is just what Westwood needs to give his season a shot in the arm.
The locale works favourably for Bland and Westwood as the next LIV tournament, LIV Virginia, is only about an hour’s drive away from Congressional Country Club.
- Thank you to LIV Golf for added copy
