Bland wants Double-d to emulate his moment
Richard Bland is rooting for his close friend David Drysdale to end his long drought and join him in the winner’s circle.
At 48, Bland is enjoying an Indian summer after he secured his maiden European Tour success at the 478th time of asking.
Only two players have ever played in more European Tour events than Bland before recording their first victory – England’s Malcolm Mackenzie and Drysdale.
Itisnowupto528eventsfor Drysdale as he heads to Mount Juliet for this week’s Irish Open.
But Bland still believes that the Edinburgh golfer, two years his junior at 46, can have his champagne moment.
“The reaction from other players after my win was great and everyone was so appreciative towards me,” he told The Sunday Post.
“But David (inset) was actually one of the first people to message me. He’s a great guy.
“Our journeys have been pretty similar as we started out together on Tour, but he’s still waiting for that win.
“I’m pulling for him and I’m sure it will come. David is too good a player not to, you don’t stay out this long on Tour otherwise.”
Bland’s victory at the British Masters at The Belfry last month was one of the moments of the golfing season so far.
It earned him a spot in the US Open at Torrey Pines, where he took centre-stage again by sharing the halfway lead.
He fell away on the back nine on the Saturday and he eventually finished in a tie for 50th, but it was still a special week. “The first two days were great and then I found out what the US Open is really about,” he admits.
“I was hoping it would be firm and fast and it was.
“You just get it slightly in the wrong position and it’s hard to get the ball up-and-down. That’s the US Open and the test we are all presented with and I wasn’t up to it over the weekend.
“I’ll remember the first two days more than the second two, but it was a good week.”
Bland is also set to have his place in the field for next month’s Open at Royal St George’s rubberstamped this afternoon.
That is all a far cry from 2019 when he found himself back on the Challenge Tour.
Faced with trips to countries like Slovakia and Finland against youngsters eager for promotion was a real challenge.
But he used his experience gained from nearly two decades on the big Tour to finish third in the final rankings and secure an immediate return.
“Going back to the Challenge Tour was hard,” Bland reflected.
“That is predominantly a young man’s tour with a sprinkling of guys trying to get back on the Tour.
“There are not many 46-yearolds out there and I was the Grandad of the tour.
“But I knew if I was good enough and didn’t feel sorry for myself, I would do it as I had played on tougher courses and tougher set-ups on the main tour.
“My game was seasoned and more rounded than some of the younger players and I was able to think my way round more.”
Without battling through those events, Bland would not have enjoyed his moment of glory at the Belfry, scene of so many European Ryder Cup celebrations.
And the Southampton-based golfer knows that his win resonated with many about the importance of never giving up hope.
“I had messages from people all over the world,” he added.
“People I had never heard of and will almost certainly never meet, were saying how they had been inspired by what I did.
“I just won a golf tournament, but if that helps people carry on their own journey of whatever it is they are facing, that’s really nice.
“You lose an awful lot more than you win in this sport. If you get knocked out seven times, you get up eight times.
“You get up, dust yourself down, carry on and come back for more, but us golfers are good
at that.”