The fight between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour continues to get uglier as yet another LIV golfer is refused an exemption by the PGA despite winning a major tournament.
Since LIV Golf had a week off, Richard Bland decided to play on the senior PGA Tour in the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores, in Michigan.
Bland won the tournament yet despite that, he will not earn the customary one-year PGA Tour Champions exemption because of his LIV allegiance.
The PGA Tour has made it clear anyone who jumped to LIV Golf will not receive any exemptions for any of the PGA’s major events, including Bland.
The tour released a statement saying:
“In spite of the win, because of competing in an unauthorized event by the PGA TOUR, he will be ineligible for TOUR-affiliated events.”The PGA of America, USGA and R&A each operate based on criteria of their own.”
Bland of course was not happy and said the PGA Tour “screwed me over.”
But it shouldn’t come as a shock to him. The PGA has long said that anyone associated with LIV Golf won’t receive exemptions from them.
But it was still a triumph for Bland despite the bad news he received about his exemption status.
Bland had previously won the British Masters and says Sunday’s win ranks right up there with that one.
“The British Masters was very special at 48,” Bland said after the win. “This is right up there. I couldn’t be happier. I’m going to celebrate the hell out of this one.”
This win was also special because he wanted to win this for his brother who has stomach cancer.
“I just wanted to win for him so bad,” he said.
{Bunkered}
About Stacey Mickles
Stacey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Alabama who has previously worked for other publications such as Sportskeeda and Saturday Down South.