BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Richard Bland is hitting it so effectively he thought he struggled on the greens of Harbor Shores and nonetheless managed a 5-under 66 on Friday to set the goal on the Senior PGA Championship within the Englishman’s senior main debut.
Bland, who received his first European tour title at 48 and joined Saudi-funded LIV Golf a 12 months later, was at 12-under 130.
He had a 1-shot lead over Scott Dunlap after the morning wave, and it seemed as if it will maintain up because the 36-hole lead. The second spherical was delayed within the afternoon by probably harmful climate, making it unlikely it will end.
Chris DiMarco (65) was 3 pictures behind. Amongst these nonetheless on the course, former British Open champion Stewart Cink was at 6 below and nonetheless had seven holes remaining, together with a pair of par-5s and a brief par-4.
Bland was exempt to play the Senior PGA Championship final 12 months below a class for gamers profitable European tour occasions prior to now 5 years — he received the British Masters at age 48 in 2021. However final 12 months’s Senior PGA was the identical week as LIV Golf Bedminster.
With no battle this 12 months, he inquired about cashing in on the one-time exemption and the PGA of America provided him an invite.
Bland has been leaning on his driving accuracy, at the same time as he waits for his putter to heat up on the difficult Jack Nicklaus-designed greens.
He made his first bogey on the par-4 fourth when he didn’t get up-and-down, and Bland considers the subsequent gap key to his spherical — all due to a fly.
“As I used to be hitting my tee shot, actually as I used to be beginning my downswing, a fly got here straight throughout the ball,” Bland stated. “I noticed it and I hit it within the left entice. For that gap, I’d’ve been reaching that, particularly with it being downwind and off the proper. I might have in all probability hit perhaps even iron into that gap immediately.”
As a substitute, he needed to lay up after which managed to get up-and-down from 130 yards for birdie.
“That was good to get the momentum again straight after the bogey on 4,” Bland stated. “That was fairly essential.”
Dunlap, who received earlier this 12 months on the PGA Tour Champions, was difficult for the lead with seven birdies till he misplaced a scoring alternative by making bogey on the par-5 sixteenth. He nonetheless posted a 65 and was not within the temper to complain.
“That is pretty much as good of golf as I’ve received,” Dunlap stated. “Clearly, I received lately, so received a bit of little bit of confidence, perhaps figured a couple of issues out. However my observe report round right here has been a bit of wanting, so I suppose perhaps I hadn’t used up any of excellent golf. It is sort of all come out in these two rounds. See what we have now left within the tank for the ultimate two.”
DiMarco’s spotlight was holing out a bunker shot on the par-5 tenth for eagle.
Defending champion Steve Stricker, who had by no means performed at Harbor Shores, was 1 over for the spherical via 12 holes and eight pictures behind Bland.
