Richard Bland (-13) has defeated Hiroyuki Fujita (-13) on the fourth playoff hole to win his second consecutive senior Major. The Englishman has made a great comeback in the final stretch of the tournament to claim his first US Senior Open. Two out of two. Two participations in senior Majors and two victories.
For the first time since 2016, the tournament had to be finished on Monday. A storm late Sunday afternoon at Newport Country Club suspended play in the final round of the 44th edition of the championship. The conditions did not allow the game to resume, which stopped when the leader Fujita’s group was finishing hole 10.
The Japanese, leader from the start of the tournament, has not been able to manage the three-stroke lead he finished with yesterday. After the resumption, he has made three almost consecutive bogeys and both players have finished tied at 13 under par.
Bland has sealed the title with an impressive shot in the bunker that hit the flag and stopped just a few centimetres from the hole. The 18-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour could only sign the bogey as he narrowly missed the par putt.
“This is very special,” Bland said just after finishing. “I find it hard to put it into words right now. It’s been a tough day, I’ve been chasing him all week. He’s been leading from start to finish. I made a great birdie on 15 to go one ahead but I couldn’t close it. I’m delighted to be here. To make two out of two is beyond my wildest dreams.”
After winning the Senior PGA Championship in late May and qualifying for next year’s PGA Championship, Bland’s victory in Rhode Island allows him to participate in next year’s US Open at Oakmont.
The Englishman needed 478 tournaments on the DP World Tour to win his first title and, at 51, Bland has already won two senior Grand Slams in just two appearances. Ironies of golf.
Miguel Ángel Jiménez finished the third Major of the year in 48th place with +3 in total.
