Richard Bland defeated Hiroyuki Fujita in a sudden-death playoff to win his second consecutive senior Major.
The LIV golfer bogeyed the 18th in regulation before parring the fourth extra hole, courtesy of a stunning bunker shot, to win the trophy and the $800,000 first prize.
Both men finished tied at 13-under-par at Newport Country Club after play was delayed until Monday and headed to a two-hole playoff that extended into a second extra hole.
Bland sealed the title with a bunker shot which hit the pin and stopped just an inch away - beating Fujita's bogey after the 18-time Japan Golf Tour winner's putt just slid by.
"This is very special," he said. "I'm struggling to put this into words right now. It was a tough day, we were chasing him all week. I think he had the lead pretty much wire-to-wire. I made a great birdie on 15 to go one in front and tried to trip over myself on the last.
"I'm just thrilled beyond words to be stood here. To go two-for-two is beyond my wildest dreams."
After winning the Senior PGA Championship in late May to qualify for next year's PGA Championship, Bland's latest win gets him into next's year's US Open at Oakmont.
He is currently not allowed to play in the Senior Open later this month due his ties with LIV Golf, and the fact it is part-organized by the DP World Tour. Lee Westwood also isn't allowed to play.
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We have a thrilling finish here at Newport CC!
Richard Bland bogeyed the testing 18th hole while Hiroyuki Fujita narrowly missed a long birdie attempt to take the title.
RICHARD BLAND ON THE PUTTING GREEN
The Englishman is having a practice putt after Fujita signs his scorecard.
It was a brilliant bogey save on the 72nd for Bland, while Fujita's second shot was a stunning drawn, fairway wood into the wind and up the hill of the difficult 18th.
We go to the 10th hole and then back up 18 in this two-hole aggregate format.
FUJITA WAS THIS CLOSE TO WINNING
Hiroyuki Fujita was THAT CLOSE to a birdie to win the U.S. Senior Open.We're heading to a playoff between him and Richard Bland on Golf Channel and Peacock. pic.twitter.com/CNySsWxD5fJuly 1, 2024
PLAYOFF FORMAT
We start with the 10th hole then back up the 18th. If they're still tied, it goes to sudden death back up the 18th.
BLAND GOES FIRST ON 10
The Englishman hits a drive up the par 4 and it leaks just up the right side. Looks to be a decent lie.
FUJITA VERY SIMILAR
Fujita also leaks it up the right although his lie looks to be a little thicker.
It's a 450 yard par 4 here and downwind so the strategy will be to bounce up their second shots into the green.
HOW MUCH IS ON THE LINE?
As well as a Major title, the champion also takes home $800,000. The runner-up here gets $432,000.
JAPANESE MEN'S MAJOR WINNERS
Fujita is seeking to become the first male Japanese golfer to win a USGA title.
Other Japanese men to win Majors are:
Noboru Sugai (2002 Senior Open)
Kohki Idoki (2013 Senior PGA)
Hideki Matsuyama (2021 Masters)
FUJITA'S SECOND SHOT INTO 10
From 151 yards, Fujita comes up just short and it runs to within a yard or two of the green. The bunker, and its ridge, may be impeding him on the right.
BLAND HITS A BEAUTY
Bland hits a towering wedge shot that lands at the front of the green and rolls all the way up to pin high. He'll have a very good look at birdie - probably around 8ft.
Advantage Bland here.
FUJITA'S BIRDIE ATTEMPT
He hits a brilliant putt but it speeds off a good five-or-six feet past the hole.
Bland could potentially be two strokes ahead very shortly.
BLAND MISSES
His birdie effort runs just past the right side of the hole. He taps in for par.
FUJITA HOLES
A brilliant six-footer from Fujita and that's a massive save. It could have been a two-stroke swing but we're all tied.
From the downhill, downwind 10th we go to the uphill, into-wind 18th.
It's essentially now sudden-death.
There have been 20 bogeys from 30 players at the 18th today!
ONTO 18, RICHARD BLAND HITS FIRST
Bland hits a low, fade that finds the fairway. A superb drive.
FUJITA ALSO FINDS THE FAIRWAY
Fujita's drive ends up just two yards behind Bland's. Another excellent tee shot.
FUJITA'S SECOND SHOT INTO THE 18TH
With a fairway wood off an uphill lie, Fujita hits another beauty to the front edge of the green.
From 235 yards into wind, that's a great shot. He'll have a very long birdie chance, though.
RICHARD BLAND ALSO WITH A FAIRWAY WOOD
From one yard closer and on a much flatter lie, Bland hits an excellent shot to the left half of the green. It's in a very similar position to Fujita's in regulation, meaning he'll have an uphill right-to-lefter.
Neither are great birdie looks but Bland has the advantage here - just.
FUJITA'S PUTT
Wow! It almost goes in from about 60ft.
Swinging in from right-to-left, it almost finds the back of the cup but ends up around 2ft past it. That'll be a simple par.
RICHARD BLAND WITH A PUTT TO WIN THE US SENIOR OPEN
It's an uphill, right-to-lefter and it's not a great effort.
Comes up 4ft short and it was also a push, too.
Going to leave a nervy one.
BLAND FOR PAR...
Bland holes well. It looks like we're going to sudden-death.
SUDDEN-DEATH
Fujita taps in and we're heading back to the 18th.
Two great pars there on the 473-yard uphiller.
Bland will feel disappointed he didn't birdie the 10th but will be happy to go to extra holes after a weak birdie effort just there on 18.
BACK TO THE 18TH
Richard Bland again has the honor here.
His drive finds the left side of the fairway.
FUJITA'S DRIVE ON 18
Fujita's drive finishes in almost exactly the same position as before, up the right on the upslope next to the bunker. He knows this shot well, a towering 5-wood is awaiting.
FUJITA'S WHISKEY
Did you know? The 18-time Japan Golf Tour winner released a single malt whiskey in January, limited edition with only 3,000 bottles.
He'll be toasting one of those if he gets the win here in what is his fifth senior Major start.
BLAND GOING FOR SECOND STRAIGHT SENIOR MAJOR
The Englishman won the Senior PGA Championship towards the end of May in his over-50s debut. This is only his second senior Major!
FUJITA'S SECOND INTO 18 BUNKERED
5-wood in hand again for the Japanese player, who is a good 10 or 15 yards behind Bland.
From 238 yards, he pulls it into the bunker left. Advantage Bland, for now at least
CAN BLAND TAKE ADVANTAGE?
From 226 and also with a fairway wood, Bland pushes it well up the right.
It misses the green by a good 25 yards right and he's going to have a wedge shot over a bunker. A tricky one awaits but he does have plenty of green to work with.
Anyone's game now!
BRAD FAXON SAYS ADVANTAGE FUJITA
He's probably right, with Fujita facing a 20 yard bunker shot into wind vs Bland's 40-yard pitch over a bunker and downwind. Neither are easy up-and-downs, though.
BLAND'S WEDGE SHOT
It's uphill, fairly blind and over a bunker. But he has got a nice lie.
He hits a high one that lands on the edge of the green and runs a good 20ft past.
Fujita up next...
FUJITA'S BUNKER SHOT
Comes up a good 15ft short. Looked like he chunked it a little.
Missed opportunity there you'd have to say.
BLAND FIRST HERE TO SAVE PAR
Bland has a 20-footer here up the hill and it's a great effort but just slides by the left side.
Fujita will now have a putt to win.
FUJITA WITH A PUTT TO WIN...
From 15ft up the hill with some right-to-left in it...
He leaves it short! We're heading back to the 18th tee as both men bogey.
ONTO THE FOURTH PLAYOFF HOLE HERE NOW
Both Bland and Fujita have gone par-par-bogey so we're back to the 18th again for the second sudden-death hole after the two-hole aggregate starting format.
BLAND AGAIN GOES FIRST UP 18
He leaks it towards the bunker but it just carries it by a yard! Great break and it's a long one.
His best drive of the playoff so far.
FUJITA'S DRIVE
Fujita pulls it a bit up the left and he's in the first cut. Absolutely fine but will be a good 15-20 yards behind Bland.
FUJITA WITH 259 YARDS LEFT
He might not actually be able to reach in two here. It's uphill and into the wind and his longest club (aside from driver) is 5-wood.
FUJITA PULLS OUT 5-WOOD
Thought he might have gone for driver off the deck but he pulls out the 5-wood.
It's a good looking shot but comes up 20 yards short of the green. A good lay-up.
RICHARD BLAND WITH 214 YARDS
From 45 yards closer, with a fairway wood due to the wind and elevation, and it's a bad pull.
Comes up in the bunker.
WHO HAS THE ADVANTAGE?
Again it looks like we're level-pegging here. Fujita has a simple pitch shot from about 30 yards while Bland has a relatively straight forward bunker shot.
BLAND'S SAND SAVES THIS WEEK
Richard Bland has made 0/4 sand saves this week. He'll be hoping that changes now and there's a good chance it might. Looks fairly simple.
FUJITA'S PITCH SHOT
From 44 yards and uphill, into wind he plays a high, floaty one and it comes up short, right.
Fairly poor there to leave about 20ft up the hill.
Advantage Bland.
BLAND FROM THE GREENSIDE BUNKER
Up-and-down surely wins this now...
WOW!
He almost holes it, bounces off the flagstick and rests literally an inch from the hole.
FUJITA TO KEEP THE PLAYOFF ALIVE
From 20ft up the hill with a good amount of right-to-left...and it agonisingly slides by.
Richard Bland is the 2024 US Senior Open champion!
RICHARD BLAND WINS US SENIOR OPEN
That's 2/2 in senior Majors!
BLAND'S WINNING BUNKER SHOT
CLUTCH.What a bunker shot for Richard Bland as he wins the U.S. Senior Open. pic.twitter.com/vdlgcMtRAUJuly 1, 2024
BLAND AND THE TROPHY:
New hardware in Newport 🏆 pic.twitter.com/16CL49UKvtJuly 1, 2024
