It was November 2020. The former CEO of the DP World Tour, Keith Pelley, back then, entered into a “strategic alliance” with Jay Monahan’s PGA Tour. As per the same, the top 10 players in the final Race to Dubai Rankings will receive Tour cards on Jay Monahan’s circuit, given they do not already have an exemption. However, a certain LIV Golf Pro can’t help but see it as a “wrong” move by the European circuit. Enter Richard Bland, the 2024 U.S. Senior Open champ.

“I think getting into bed with the Americans was completely the wrong idea,” divulged the LIV Golf Pro in an interview with Golf Digest. The 51-year-old, while attending the press conference ahead of the Asian Tour’s International Series – England tournament, mentioned how the commissioner of the PGA Tour was just focused on the best players of the DP World Tour.

“Does anyone honestly think Jay Monahan cares about the DP World Tour?” asked the senior athlete before answering the question himself, “No, he doesn’t. For him that ’10 player’ deal was all about how he could get the best DP World Tour players competing on the PGA Tour. They [the PGA Tour] don’t care about the DP World Tour. They never have.” 

He didn’t stop there. Bland also took to recall Keith Pelley’s decision to say ‘No’ to a financial agreement with the Public Investment Fund, all the while dubbing it a “wrong decision” as well. “Let’s face it,” added the pro, “Anyone who knows anything about world golf knows that the DP World Tour made the wrong decision three, four years ago when they had the opportunity to go with the Saudis.”

Richard Bland also took to point out how it’s a sad day for the DP World Tour with the recent European Ryder Cup team qualification criteria. “It’s sad,” said the LIV Golf Pro, “This just basically says that no one playing full-time DP World can play in the Ryder Cup. You can’t make it.” Well, the golfer sure went no-holds-barred when it came to Monahan, his circuit, and the DP World Tour. But interestingly, his comments about the Jay Monahan-led American Tour come just days after his PGA Tour Champions snub.

Richard Bland and his PGA Tour Champions snub following major win

The athlete had emerged victorious at two of this year’s senior majors, the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and the Senior U.S. Open. He won the latter by forcing a playoff against Hiroyuki Fujita. But despite the two wins, the LIV golfer was unable to enjoy a certain benefit that the contest usually provides to its champ: a one-year exemption into the PGA Tour Champions. The reason? All thanks to him being part of the Saudi-backed league!

As soon as Bland won the first major, the PGA Tour Champions released a statement of their own. It highlighted how, “In spite of the win, because of competing in an unauthorized event by the PGA TOUR, he will be ineligible for TOUR-affiliated events.” This meant his scintillating 17-under 267 at the Harbor Shores Golf Club and the 13-under at the Newport Country Club weren’t enough to clinch a place on the senior circuit. Truly unfortunate for the golfer!