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LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA | Richard Bland was “over the moon” sitting at 5-under par and sharing the 36-hole lead at the U.S. Open. He left a little under the weather playing the weekend in 13 over to finish tied 50th at 8-over par.
“This is probably a game of two halves,” Bland said after a final-round 78 at Torrey Pines. “The first two days were great, and then I found out what the U.S. Open is really about. I was hoping that it would be firm and fast, and it was. It shows you the guys that are right in there that you just have to be on top of your game in every department. If there’s something that’s just five-percent off, it just kills you out here.
“But that’s the U.S. Open, and that’s the test that we’re all presented with, and I wasn’t up to it this weekend.”
Bland was playing his fourth career major – in his fourth decade. He played in Open Championships in 1998 and 2017. His only previous U.S. Open appearance was in 2009. His only previous made cut was a T22 in 2017 at Royal Birkdale. He doesn’t even have a hat deal, wearing the logo of his home club, Wisley.
It already has been a big season for the 48-year-old Bland, who first gained his European Tour card in 1997. In May, in his 478th career start on the European Tour, he claimed his maiden victory in a playoff against Italy’s Guido Migliozzi at the Betfred British Masters – making him the oldest first-time winner in European Tour history.
“For a few days it was pretty different with the media and then the social media took over and was kind of overwhelming to get messages from all over the world of golf, just saying how inspired they were by it,” he said. “That’s something I wasn’t expecting. I’m just a guy who's won a golf tournament really, when you boil it down.
“But as it all sunk in, I think it was just more satisfaction than anything that I kind of got what I've always wanted. I want more. Every golfer wants more. Hopefully I can do it again.”
He cited intel he received from Lee Westwood and Justin Rose on how to safely attack a course like Torrey Pines. As soon as he laid eyes on Torrey, he thought “I can play around here.”
While it didn’t end as he’d hoped, he didn’t gripe about his fate.
“Overall it's been a positive week,” he said. “I’ll probably remember the first two days more than the second two, so a little bit disappointing, but it's been a good week.”
Scott Michaux