THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome to the LIV Golf Dallas media center, Richard Bland of Cleeks GC. Richard shot a 3-under 69. You're tied for fourth going into the final round. Obviously, you made the decision to play here this week instead of the U.S. Senior Open. Given your position on the leaderboard, it looks like a pretty smart move right now.
RICHARD BLAND: Yeah, obviously you always want to defend something you won the year before, especially a tournament like the U.S. Senior Open. But as always, I'm committed to LIV. I didn't even ask the question. I know I have a contract, and I have to honor that.
I know I've taken a little bit of stick back home for it, but it's one of those unfortunate things. I spoke with the USGA. They were fine with it. Obviously of course they're disappointed.
But it's just one of those unfortunate things. I know LIV are trying to put the best schedule together that they can with the weeks that they have, and of course they're never going to put a LIV event against a major a real-time major if you want to call it that. But yeah, it's unfortunate.
Obviously I would love to be there, but I'm also committed and I love playing LIV. I love playing for the Cleeks. Yeah, I'm happy.
Q. Obviously a lot of shot makers at the top of that leaderboard, especially on a course that's 7,500 yards. What have you found out there this week at Maridoe?
RICHARD BLAND: Yeah, it certainly played a little different to the Team Championship last year. I think we were here a little later, so probably -- I'm sure a couple more weeks of this kind of weather, that rough is probably going to burn out, but right now it's pretty thick.
You can be two, three yards off the fairway and you can only shift it 50, 60 yards. You've got to drive the ball well. I'm sure probably if you look at the leaderboard and their stats, I imagine the top 10 are all probably in the top dozen of the driving stats, I would assume. You can't play this place from the rough.
It's a challenge. With that wind out there, it's drying it out. The thing is with this course there's a lot of crosswinds. You're never really playing into or straight down. It's always in off the right or down off the left. It's never -- you're always having to flight shots into holes.
It's almost kind of like a little old-fashioned playing, which I guess kind of suits me.
Q. You've finished in the lock zone every year that you've been out here at LIV Golf. Obviously that continues to be a goal entering this year, but now you're also chasing your first win at LIV. There's a lot on the line for you tomorrow.
RICHARD BLAND: Yeah, but I always just remind myself, I've experienced most things on the golf course, so I don't -- that's one thing that I try just to settle myself down a little bit because of course I'm going to be nervous on the first tee tomorrow. Of course I am because I care.
But I've played enough golf that anything that happens out there, I've probably experienced before, and I've handled it before. What am I, four behind Patrick, so looking like the way he's playing, he's not going to go backwards. We've got to go get him.
I'll certainly try and play as aggressive as I can, depending on the shots that I've got straight in front of me.
But yeah, of course I want to play LIV in '26, and hopefully I can certainly secure that tomorrow but also kind of give Pat a run hopefully down the stretch.
Q. Richard, I think a lot of fans are wondering how is it possible you continue to play such a high level of golf at this stage of your career and on such a consistent basis?
RICHARD BLAND: Just playing against the guys that are out here. When you play against Bryson and Jon Rahm and Brooks, those guys, I have to play my best golf. There's no ifs or buts about it. I can't turn up here and bring my "C" game and expect to compete with Jon. I can't do it. That's not going to happen.
I have to bring my "A" game every single time. That doesn't mean to say that's what I am going to do, but if I've got any chance of competing, I've got to play up towards some of the best golf I can play.
It just brings it out of you. There's no other way. That's what I have to do.
But also, it kind of drags -- when I'm not playing quite so well, it elevates that a little bit better. So yeah, coming to LIV has made me a much better player than I was, how long ago now? Four years. I'm a much more consistent player because I have to be. I have to bring that level of game to have any chance.
Q. Richard, three Englishmen in the top seven of the leaderboard. Obviously you guys are used to playing in 90-degree plus heat. What's the secret out there?
RICHARD BLAND: Well, it's pretty much 90 degrees in the UK right now. Of course you've got to stay hydrated. When things are not quite going your way, you've just got to stay as patient as you can. The last thing you can be doing out there is kind of getting hot under the collar because that's just going to -- you're going to blow a gasket doing that.
A couple of holes today when it looks like it's kind of going the wrong way for me, right, just try and stay as patient as I can. If you can worst case make a bogey, get out of there, right. The last thing you need to be doing is making doubles or worse because they're tough to get over, especially in this heat. A lot of rest tonight. Just chill out, get some treatment, get Pierre to give me a rub down this evening and again tomorrow and just get ready to go. Yeah, 12:00 tomorrow I'll be ready.
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