LIV GOLF KOREA

May 3, 2025

Richard Bland

Jack Nicklaus Golf Club

Cleeks GC

Press Conference

Q. The Blandemic has returned. The Blandemonium returns. Mr. Blandy Savage himself.

RICHARD BLAND: I can't believe you're calling me that.

Q. It's a pretty good one. Richard Bland here. Welcome to the show. Mexico City, you hit that ace. Behind the scenes we came up to you and asked you -- I'm sorry, the double eagle. We asked you about it, and we said, what number is that for you? You said I have no idea.

RICHARD BLAND: I'm getting old. I know it's definitely two, it might be three.

Q. I can't believe you don't remember.

Q. Pretty impressive stuff, Richard Bland. Could you just talk about your day and what's working so well for you out there.

RICHARD BLAND: I drove the ball great. I only missed one fairway. I hit some really quality shots into some greens.

Kind of like, as I said to Dom, the three-putt on 9 and 10 just kind of knocked me off my balance a little bit and kind of never really kind of -- I wasn't feeling that great putting the last five or six holes. I certainly feel that I could be a little closer to Bryson, but I'm still in it.

Q. Richard, do you fall back, you said to me in our interview that you've got to shoot really low. You're only 1-under par on the par-5s this week. You've got to play 3 or 4-under tomorrow.

RICHARD BLAND: Definitely. I don't know what it is on the par-5s this week. I think I played the par-5s in something like 12-under last week and this week I'm 1-under. Shows you how crazy this game is at times.

Q. Can you get to any of them in two?

RICHARD BLAND: Yeah.

Q. 18 you got on easily.

RICHARD BLAND: 18, I can get the 3.

I missed my tee shot today on 3. So I'm struggling.

7, I was kind of right in between. I kind of -- it was one of those yardages, if I just miss it with a 3-wood, it's going to struggle to get over the traps.

Q. 15 was long. 15 was in the wind.

RICHARD BLAND: Yeah, 15's tough for me. I'm not getting it. I need to drive it probably a little better on the par-5s. That's where Bryson has kind of got me in a bit of a headlock there.

Q. Speaking of Bryson DeChambeau, we actually have some highlights of his day. Speak to how good and consistent this guy has been.

RICHARD BLAND: I heard he hit 9-iron into the last, and that doesn't make me feel good.

Q. And it went over the green.

RICHARD BLAND: I thought I heard it.

Q. He hit his 3-wood pin high on 15. It's just dumb.

RICHARD BLAND: Could you stop talking now, please

Q. Here's some highlights from Bryson DeChambeau as we close out round 2.

(Highlight video.)

Q. Watch this on 14. I thought it would go left, and it's past the pin. It is just incredible.

RICHARD BLAND: You're flying up there. I was with one of the guys that was towards the front of the green, and it was 310. It's up the hill as well.

Q. There wasn't really wind at that time.

RICHARD BLAND: And it's cold. The thing isn't traveling. My golf ball certainly isn't traveling.

Q. That driver is such a weapon. That is why he's -- you put everybody in the spots he's in, and you'd be tied or somebody would lead because they would hit it closer. Where he's hitting that driver, the weapon is just incredible.

RICHARD BLAND: It's tailor made for him around here. I kind of feel like I'm a pretty decent driver. I know where it's going to go. You feel like there's four or five holes around here you couldn't miss a fairway if you tried.

So for him, he gets this -- he's one of those, he can find that extra 10 mile an hour club head speed. That's something that I can't do. I can't just find 10 miles an hour. Like you say, there's holes where he can make it look very, very easy.

Q. Richard, you're defending the Senior PGA Championship, you're in the PGA Championship, you're in the U.S. Open. It's good to be heading into those big tournaments in the form you're in.

RICHARD BLAND: Yeah, I kind of feel like this year has been kind of -- it's been a little up-and-down for me. I was very consistent last year. I haven't quite got that consistency this year.

My game, I feel like it's coming back to where I'm starting to feel a little bit more comfortable. Certainly there's been a couple of events this year where I've just kind of not felt like I've quite had it. It's not a million miles away. We always think it is, but it's not.

So, yeah, coming up -- and you know with the PGA and the U.S. Open, they're some of the hardest tests you're going to face. If you haven't got your best stuff with you those weeks, it's just going to have you for breakfast, especially Oakmont.

If I can finish strong tomorrow, put some good work in next week --

Q. Have you played Quail?

RICHARD BLAND: I haven't played Quail or Congressional.

Q. You're going to like it.

RICHARD BLAND: For me, I'm more excited about the Senior PGA because, if I feel like my game is trending in the right direction, I'm going to go there feeling pretty good about myself and hopefully try and go 3 for 3.

Q. Before you go, any final words for fans watching and a plan for Sunday?

RICHARD BLAND: Thanks for all your support, guys. I'm going to do my best tomorrow. Hopefully the older Senior U.S. Open champion might turn over the young U.S. Open champion. It's going to be tough, I know that.

Bryson is one of the best players in the world, so he ain't going to back down. Hopefully I can give him a run for his money.