The People's Champion

After 25 years as a pro, Richard Bland finally joined the European Tour winner’s circle at the 478th attempt and inspired a whole generation of golfers that you should never give up on your dreams. The fact he did it having just worked his way back from the Challenge Tour makes his story even more remarkable…

- Michael Catling

If Phil Mickelson’s PGA Championship win was a victory for all the over 50s, Richard Bland’s fairytale success at the British Masters was a victory of hope and resilience for every golfer who keeps getting up after being knocked down.

We’ve come to expect the unexpected from Phil, but Bland’s last – and only – other victory during his 25-year professional career came way back in 2001 when he won the Challenge Tour Grand Final. He lost in a play-off at the 2002 Irish Open as a European Tour rookie and then proceeded to perform like Lee Westwood does in the Majors for the best part of two decades. There were plenty of close calls, including two more second places and 28 other top 10s, but nothing really worth celebrating other than a handsome pay packet.

By the time Bland was relegated to the Challenge Tour ahead of the 2019 season, he had plummeted outside the world’s top 1,000, having missed more cuts (14) than he made the previous year. With retirement out of the question, he stayed loyal to his long-time swing coach, Tim Barter, and rebounded by finishing as a runner-up four times to win his European Tour card back at the first attempt.

“What was I going to do for the next three, four years?” asked Bland of an uncertain future. “I’m getting fat as it is and it’s only going to get worse. Just get your head down and do the job and get back to where I felt like I belong.”