Richard Bland obtained his first tournament on Tour at the 478th tournament closing Might maybe maybe as he obtained the British MastersVenue: Southern Hills Nation Membership, Tulsa, Oklahoma Date: 19-22 MayCoverage: Live textual hiss material updates of all four rounds on BBC Sport web dwelling. Radio 5 Live updates of rounds one and two. Saturday’s round three dwell on Radio 5 Sports Further from 20: 00 BST. Sunday’s final round on 5 Live from 21: 00Richard Bland says he’ll play in next month’s inaugural LIV Golf Invitational match even when it outcomes in him being banned by the DP World Tour.
The Saudi-funded tournament, being held approach London from 9-11 June, has a prize fund of £20m with £3.2m for the winner.
The Europe-basically basically based DP World Tour has threatened bans for its gamers who compete within the tournament at Centurion Membership.
“I’m going to play. If I catch banned, I catch banned, Englishman Bland suggested BBC Radio Solent.
“Most of my career is gradual me now as regards playing at the very very most sensible stage. I’m 50 years stale in six months.
“I’m a realist. Mom nature does are possible to atone for you. I enjoy a chance to play these occasions and right my future and I could maybe presumably maybe presumably be moderately foolish to turn that down,” added the world number 48, who grow to be obtained bigger than £6m since turning skilled in 1996.
Listen – All About golf’s energy struggleNorman unearths additional $2bn funding to right orderly leagueThe Sports Desk podcast: Norman, Mickelson & Saudi money – is golf eating itself?Bland mentioned he had asked the DP World Tour – beforehand European Tour – for an exemption to enjoy the flexibility to play within the 54-hole tournament.
“I have not been granted the launch; I moderately mighty knew that a pair of weeks ago,” he mentioned.
“Everyone has their very procure thought and are they going to play or now not going to play; it’s possible you’ll presumably maybe presumably presumably also simplest originate what’s simplest for yourself.
“I stamp some folk would possibly maybe presumably maybe presumably now not bask in that alternatively or now not it’s a chance for me to bear the following stage of my existence very fully gratified and the procedure in which would possibly I turn that down?”
June’s match is the first of eight invitational tournaments being speed in 2022 by the Greg Norman-fronted LIV Golf Investments – the extensive majority of that are taking issue within the US.
The 67-365 days-stale stale world number 1 suggested BBC Sport closing week that he has secured £1.6bn of additional funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to compose his breakaway sequence into a paunchy orderly league by 2024.
Norman insists Saudi Arabia, which has been accused of ‘sportswashing’ its heavily criticised human rights narrative with this mission, amongst many others, is in it to bear a financial return in some procedure.
Bland is enjoying one thing of a renaissance within the latter stages of his career.
He hit the headlines in Might maybe maybe 2021 when he obtained the British Masters, his first European Tour tournament in his 478th start and eight prime-10 finishes closing season resulted in him finishing a career-simplest 11th within the Speed to Dubai rankings.
Bland obtained around £300,000 for his British Masters triumph. Roughly £205m will be obtained at some level of the eight LIV Golf occasions – and with out a cuts, the player finishing closing within the 48-man self-discipline will catch around £100,000.
He’s in Oklahoma this week for the 2nd males’s major of the 365 days, the US PGA Championship, that would possibly maybe presumably maybe simply pay out £1.75m to the winner – around half of of the prize on provide at Centurion – though the station of successful a important is arguably indispensable.
“The talk of the metropolis is the LIV tournament; or now not it’s your complete gamers are talking about,” he persisted.
Several gamers from the PGA and DP World Tours enjoy been searching for waivers to allow them to play within the tournament, at the side of Bland’s fellow Englishman Lee Westwood, but closing week, the PGA Tour issued an announcement asserting it grow to be blocking its contributors from playing.
Norman known as that circulation “anti-golfer, anti-fan and anti-aggressive”.
When asked if grow to be afraid about getting banned by the DP World Tour, Bland replied: “That’s one thing I’m ready to position up with and capture on the chin.
“We will detect what they are and what the repercussions are. No-one in actuality is conscious of. I’ve spoken to [DP World Tour chief executive] Keith Pelley but he’s maintaining his cards shut to his chest so I originate now not focal level on somebody in actuality is conscious of.”
And given the truth other sports actions enjoy been played in Saudi Arabia, while the PIF has funded 80% of the £305m takeover of Premier League facet Newcastle United, Bland thinks golf is “getting moderately of a tough stop of the stick”.
“I know [former heavyweight world champion boxer] Anthony Joshua has fought available within the market, F1’s been available within the market, they originate now not seem like getting the contaminated press that golf’s getting,” he mentioned.
“I know Lee [Westwood] commented on that at the British Masters and I’m of the same thought as he is, I originate now not catch why we’re getting the tough stop of the stick but I’m definite somebody will hiss me and that’s the reason their thought.
“I conception to play those occasions. That’s the resolution I’ve taken and some folk will agree with it and some would possibly maybe presumably maybe presumably now not and that’s the reason pretty.”