EUROPEAN Tour: Betfred British Masters final scoreboard
Richard Bland claimed his first European Tour title at the 478th attempt as he beat Guido Migliozzi in a play-off to seal an emotional win at the 2021 Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett.
The 48-year-old arrived at The Belfry third on the list of players with most appearances without a win and revealed he already had one eye on the seniors game but after making just one bogey in 72 holes, he showed he could still mix it with players many years his junior.
And after carding a closing 66 with a birdie on the last to get to 13 under, the home favourite parred the first extra hole as Italian Migliozzi, who was just 18 months old when Bland made his European Tour debut, three putted.
England's Dave Coupland, Finn Mikko Korhonen and Pole Adrian Meronk finished a shot out of the play-off, one clear of another Englishman in Andy Sullivan and South African Dean Burmester.
Bland made his European Tour debut at the 1998 Open Championship and in the 476 events between that week and this, he achieved three second places, two thirds and 26 other top tens.
A European Challenge Tour graduate in 2001, 2004 and 2008, he also came through the Qualifying School in 2007 and 2011 before achieving what was then a career year in 2016 as he finished 27th on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.
But he lost his card in 2018 only to go back to the Challenge Tour and become the oldest ever graduate at the age of 46.
“It’s probably going to take a few days to sink in," he said. "It’s what I’ve worked for for 20 years. I’ve had a few close calls and I assume someone up there was looking down on me quite favourably today.
“A big incentive for me this year was to get to 500 events and this will allow me to do that, which I’ll be hugely proud of.
“I loved it down the stretch out there. I had a one shot lead with six holes to play and hit the shots when I needed to and that’s a huge confidence boost going forwards.
“Who knows? Maybe it’s like buses. None come around for ages and then two come along in quick succession.”
On his return to the Challenge Tour in 2019, he added: "I was 46 at the time: what am I going to do for the next three or four years? I'm getting fatter as it is, I'm only going to be getting worse.
"Just get your head down and do the job, no disrespect to the other players, I wasn't there to make any friends. I did make friends and it was great but it was just purely, get your head down, get the job done and get back to where I felt I belong."
Bryan Angus (europeatour.com)
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