LIV's Richard Bland stays on top at the Senior PGA Championship

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – Richard Bland is hitting so well he struggled on the greens at Harbor Shores, but he still shot 5-under-par 66 on Friday to set the goal for the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in his senior championship debut.

Bland, who won his first European tour title at age 48 and joined Saudi-funded LIV Golf a year later, was at 12-under 130. He played in the morning wave before a delay in the afternoon due to potentially hazardous weather.

Scott Dunlap was one stroke back and Chris DiMarco was three strokes back, both shooting 65 in their morning rounds.

Hall of Famer Ernie Els was 8 under par and finished his afternoon round with a bogey on the par-4 ninth hole and a score of 64. He made birdies on five of his first six holes, then made three birdies in a four-hole stretch on his final nine holes.

“I played really great for 17 holes and it wasn't until my last hole that I went left and close to the hazard,” said Els.

Brain Gay was also 8 under par with 67 strokes.

Defending champion Steve Stricker, who had never played at Harbor Shores before, was five strokes behind Bland after shooting a 69 at 7 under par.

Stewart Cink (68), Mike Weir (69), Joakim Haeggman (66) and Richard Green (71) were also 7 under par. Green was tied with Bland at the top of the first round after a 64.

Iowa coach Jeffrey Schmid was the best of the club pros, shooting 71 after an opening performance of 66 strokes and remaining at 5 under par.

“I missed a lot today,” said Schmid. “That was disappointing. But then I came back and played par.”

Bland was exempt from playing in the Senior PGA Championship last year, albeit in a category for players who had won European Tour events in the past five years – he won the British Masters in 2021 at the age of 48. But last year's Senior PGA took place in the same week as LIV Golf Bedminster.

Since there were no conflicts this year, he inquired about the possibility of taking advantage of the one-time exemption and the PGA of America offered him an invitation.

Bland relies on his accuracy even as he waits for his putter to warm up on the difficult Jack Nicklaus-designed greens.

His first bogey came on the par-4 fourth hole when he failed to get up and down, and Bland considers the next hole the key to his round – all because of a fly.

“As I was teeing off – literally as I started my downswing – a fly went right over the ball,” Bland said. “I saw it and hit it left-center. I would have gotten it on that hole, especially because it's downwind and to the right. I probably could have even hit an iron in that hole today.”

Instead, he had to make a layup and then managed to score a birdie from 120 meters away.

“That was good to get back into the swing of things right after the bogey on hole 4,” Bland said. “That was pretty important.”

Dunlap, who won the PGA Tour Champions earlier this year, was battling for the lead with seven birdies until a bogey on the par-5 16th gave him a chance to score. He still shot 65 and was in no mood to complain.

“This is my only golf game,” Dunlap said. “Obviously, I won recently, so I've gained a little confidence and maybe figured out a few things. But my track record here has been a little poor, so maybe I haven't used enough of my good golf. It all came out in those two rounds. Let's see what we have left in the tank for the last two.”

DiMarco's highlight was a bunker shot on the par-5 10th hole that led to an eagle. Miguel Angel Jimenez holed the par-3 second hole for his 15th hole-in-one in the competition. After a 68, he was 4 under par.

Bernhard Langer, who achieved the most wins over par in his career, made the cut at 3 over par with rounds of 74 and 71.

Two players could not finish the round due to darkness.