Bland made a name for himself on the senior major scene in May, clinching the Senior PGA Championship by three strokes at Harbor Shores Golf Club. Just a month later, the Englishman secured back-to-back major wins, taking home the Senior U.S. Open title after a nail-biting playoff at Newport Country Club.
Now 51, Bland seems to be playing the best golf of his career, having spent most of his professional life as a journeyman on the European-based DP World Tour.
This season has been particularly positive for Bland, and he has played himself into contention at LIV Greenbrier this weekend with just 18 holes remaining. The Cleeks GC star has remained bogey-free over the first two days, carding consecutive six-under-par 64's, leaving him just two shots behind leader Jon Rahm.
Despite stiff competition at the top, Bland is focused on securing his first LIV title on Sunday. If he manages to pull it off, the veteran admitted it would eclipse his two major victories earlier this year. Highlighting the importance of the LIV setup, he claimed Saturday: "I think you would have to put it above everything.
"Personally, I think, just because of the standard of the players that you're playing against. Obviously I don't mean that in any way to play down a senior major. Obviously that's still a great achievement. But to look at the leaderboard that's in front of you, it's pretty stacked. Yeah, if you came out on top tomorrow, that would be, for me, career defining, I think."
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As noted, Bland will have to surpass former world No. 1 Rahm, one of the game's hottest stars. Also near the top are 2023 LIV individual champion Talor Gooch and 2022 Champion Golfer of The Year, Australian star Cameron Smith.
For Bland, merely competing with the world's top players is an accomplishment. "At my age to still be competing with these guys kind of says a lot about my game," he stated. "It would be nice to get that completely wrapped up going into Chicago in a couple of weeks.
"Again, we'll see. I'm not really going to think about that too much tomorrow. Just go out and play. But one shot at a time and see where it leaves me." Bland will play in the penultimate group on Sunday's third round, teeing off on the first hole in the shotgun start alongside Ripper GC pair Smith and Lucas Herbert.
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