Shock leader Bland no more

SAN DIEGO • For 25 years, Richard Bland of England wondered if he might forever view his golf career with "the disappointment of slightly underachieving".

Lacking strong results, and sometimes even mediocre ones, he was kicked off the European Tour several times. But he never considered quitting and fought his way back from the sport's minor leagues, even as he got used to being one of the oldest players in each event.

Then, out of the blue last month, after 477 tries, Bland, 48, won his first tour event at the British Masters, a victory that qualified him for a berth in this week's US Open.

When asked what he looked forward to about playing in the Major, he mentioned "all the add-ons", a reference to the freebies at elite golf events - use of a luxury courtesy car, welcome gifts, a spot in a sumptuous locker room alongside the best golfers on the planet.

Bland did not mention one other possible perk - a chance to win the tournament and join the exclusive club of Major champions. And yet on Friday, at the midpoint of the US Open at Torrey Pines, his name was atop the leaderboard, where he was tied with Russell Henley after shooting a four-under 67 for a five-under 137 total.

In fact, Bland held the second-round lead for most of the day until Henley caught and passed him with a late charge. But on his final hole, the American missed a five-foot par putt to finish with a one-under 70 that dropped him back.

Matthew Wolff (68) and Louis Oosthuizen (71) were in third place, one stroke off the lead.

While Bland's Friday performance may have been a surprise, it was not a fluke with seven birdies.

A month after Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship at 50, here comes the seasoned Bland, who actually has a grey beard.

"This has been the year for us oldies," Bland said with a wide grin.

"It's nice to give the (young) gym-goers a run for their money. As we get older, everything kind of creaks in the morning and there's a new ache to wake up to."

Bland, who is No. 115 in the world rankings, conceded that Mickelson's recent victory was an inspiration but said he was stunned to see so many viewed his British Masters triumph in the same way.

"I wasn't ready for messages from people all over the globe," he said, referring to his social media accounts. "All these people saying how inspired they were by it. That's something I wasn't expecting. I'm just a guy who's won a golf tournament, when you boil it down.

"I think every sportsman, they have that never-die or that never-quit attitude, no matter whether it's golf or tennis or boxing... The old saying is you get knocked down seven times, you get up eight. I've always had that kind of attitude."

As humble as he is, he did not shy away from talking about contending for the championship today in the final round of the US Open.

"I've been driving the ball very well for the last six weeks or so," Bland said. "If I keep doing what I've been doing, I feel like I can still be there on Sunday."

Pre-championship favourite Jon Rahm (70) stayed in touch, two back with two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson (67).

But Major specialist Brooks Koepka slipped five behind with a 73 alongside Bryson DeChambeau (69), with whom he has been engaged in a feud. Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama (76) ended eight back, while Justin Rose (77), the 2013 champion, was one of the few big names to bow out early after a 13-over total.

NYTIMES, REUTERS

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