Bland wins play-off to make history at British Masters
Issued on:
15/05/2021 - 18:49 England s Richard Bland won the British Masters Oli SCARFF AFP/File 2 min
London (AFP)
Richard Bland become the oldest first-time winner in European Tour history as the Englishman beat Guido Migliozzi in a play-off to clinch the British Masters title on Saturday.
Bland landed his maiden Tour title at the 478th attempt after he parred the first extra hole at The Belfry while Migliozzi three-putted from long range.
The 48-year-old carded a superb final round of 66 to set the clubhouse target on 13 under par.
Birdies on the 15th and 16th gave Migliozzi a share of the lead and he then found the green in two on the par-five 17th, but the Italian missed from five feet for birdie after lipping out from long range for an eagle.
478th-time lucky as Bland wins British Masters and first title at 48
Issued on: England s Richard Bland won the British Masters Oli SCARFF AFP/File 3 min
London (AFP)
Richard Bland become the oldest first-time winner in European Tour history as the Englishman beat Guido Migliozzi in a play-off to clinch the British Masters title on Saturday.
Bland landed his maiden Tour title at the 478th attempt after he parred the first extra hole at The Belfry while Migliozzi three-putted from long range.
The 48-year-old carded a superb final round of 66 to set the clubhouse target on 13 under par. It s probably going to take a few days to sink it. It s what I ve worked for for 20 years. I ve had a few close calls and I assume someone up there was looking down on me quite favourably today, said Bland.
Report Saturday, May 15, 2021
The 48-year-old arrived at The Belfry third on the list of players with most appearances without a win and revealed he already had one eye on the seniors game but after making just one bogey in 72 holes, he showed he could still mix it with players many years his junior.
And after carding a closing 66 with a birdie on the last to get to 13 under, the home favourite parred the first extra hole as Italian Migliozzi, who was just 18 months old when Bland made his European Tour debut, three putted.
England s Dave Coupland, Finn Mikko Korhonen and Pole Adrian Meronk finished a shot out of the play-off, one clear of another Englishman in Andy Sullivan and South African Dean Burmester.
Richard Bland claims maiden European Tour title at 478th attempt at The Belfry
Updated: May 15 2021, 5.50pm
England’s Richard Bland celebrates winning the Betfred British Masters at The Belfry (Tim Goode/PA)
An emotional Richard Bland defeated Guido Migliozzi in a play-off to win his first European Tour title at the 478th attempt after a dramatic finish to the Betfred British Masters.
Bland parred the first extra hole at The Belfry after Migliozzi three-putted from long range to become the oldest first-time winner in European Tour history.
The 48-year-old carded a superb final round of 66 to set the clubhouse target on 13 under par, but looked in danger of cruelly being denied victory by the fast-finishing Migliozzi.
May 14, 2021, 6:40 pm
Eddie Pepperell will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Betfred British Masters (Tim Goode/PA)
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England’s Eddie Pepperell produced a grandstand finish to put himself in pole position to win the Betfred British Masters for the second time in four years.
Pepperell holed from 40 feet for birdie on the 18th at The Belfry to card a second successive 68 and emerge from a logjam at the top of the leaderboard, with the top 26 players separated by five shots.