Richard Bland Confirms He Will Sign With LIV Golf 2.0 League

Richard Bland says he will sign up for LIV Golf 2.0 if the rebooted league launches, telling Flushing It Golf on X that he has nowhere else to play regularly. The 53-year-old has competed on LIV since its 2022 launch and is suspended from PGA Tour Champions until next August.

Why does Bland say he has no other option?

Bland said his PGA Tour Champions suspension runs until next August, and he has no interest in rebuilding his card through DP World Tour qualifying after 25 years working up tour ladders. That leaves Europe's Legends Tour as his only other regular outlet. "Well, apart from the Legends Tour, I have nowhere else to play," Bland said.

Bland has not won an individual LIV Golf title since joining in 2022, but he has earned roughly $20 million across five seasons with the league. He has had more success on the senior circuit, winning the 2024 Senior PGA Championship and the U.S. Senior Open back to back.

What is the deadline for LIV Golf 2.0?

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil faces an Oct. 25 deadline to lock in enough player commitments to trigger BC Partners financing, though the financiers have retained the right to extend that date. O'Neil needs at least two-thirds of voting creditors representing at least half of total claims to sign on.

Bland's commitment to LIV 2.0 is as much about having somewhere to play as it is about believing in the league's future.

Bland's move toward LIV 2.0 comes as other players head the opposite direction. Jon Rahm has ruled himself out, and Sergio Garcia had his LIV contract terminated this week to become a free agent. Cameron Smith, Byeong-hun An, Marc Leishman, Cameron Tringale and Matthew Wolff have also sought to end their contracts.