Once a steadfast critic of anything but LIV, Richard Bland is reconsidering his stance. But he finds himself at a crossroads. When many DP World Tour athletes joined LIV Golf, the management penalized them. So golfers who wanted to play on both LIV Golf and DP World Tour had to pay hefty fines, which were taken care of by the former until now. LIV Golf has reportedly paid approximately £15-20 million for these fines. However, that privilege will end after 2025, and golfers like Richard Bland have to make a tough decision.

He primarily wants to play on Europe’s senior circuit tours. Richard Bland, aged 52, has found renewed success on the senior golf circuit, which reignited the competitive fire in the veteran. He won both the Senior PGA Championship and the US Senior Open in 2024. But he needs to pay the fines worth $1M to continue playing on the Tour.

“With my fines being outstanding, the door is firmly shut right now, so I’m looking into having those paid,” Bland told bunkered.co.uk.

Whenever a LIV Golf and DP World Tour match is held simultaneously, and a golfer decides to play in the former’s tournament, they are fined. They must pay the outstanding fine to participate in any future DP World Tour event. Veterans like Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, and Lee Westwood even filed an appeal against these fines but lost the legal battle. So they and other athletes, including Richard Bland, decided not to play in their home circuit by refusing to pay the sanctions levied on them.

However, Richard’s recent success on the senior circuit has led him to consider a future beyond LIV. The veteran won the 2024 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship with a score of 17 under par. And this came despite a poor Round 3 that he ended 3 above par. Two months later, he won the U.S. Senior Open Championship with 13 under par. Tied at the top with Hiroyuki Fujita after the rounds of 68-64-69-66. After a tie on three holes at 4-4-5 in the playoff, he finally outdid Hiroyuki, defeating him 4-5 on the 18th hole.

With this newfound competitive love on the senior circuit, he has decided to continue playing in some of his beloved tournaments on the European senior circuit. “It just opens some doors for me outside of LIV, whenever LIV finishes for me. If I want to play a tournament here or there, I can do. That’s what it’s for. I’m in the process of that right now,” said Richard.

He is clearly planning for his future after LIV. 11x PGA Tour winner Sergio Garcia also reclaimed his DP World Tour card in 2024. Reports claim that his aim was to be part of the 2025 Ryder Cup team. But unlike the Spaniard, Richard is planning to play on only a few tours and for his future after LIV. “It would purely be more for the future that I would be doing it for,” the Englishman said.

He knows that playing on the DP World Tour and missing out on it for a colliding LIV Golf event will lead to fines again. For instance, the 2026 Senior Championship in Scotland clashes with the LIV Golf’s UK event’s schedule during the weekend ending on July 26, 2026. Therefore, he plans to join the DP World Tour after his LIV journey, but he plans to clear out the fines soon.

While Richard plans to play the senior circuit on the DP World Tour, he has always been a fan of LIV Golf.

Richard Bland being vocal about LIV Golf

Richard Bland has praised LIV Golf for bringing out the best in him. “My game has definitely improved since joining the LIV Tour – it had to if I’m going to compete,” he told.

He took around 25 years to win his first DP World Tour title, the British Masters in 2021. That’s the only DP World Tour victory he has under his name. But after playing LIV Golf, he won two senior majors in his debut year. He gives credit for this to LIV and the competitors he has to face.

Bland has to play with top golfers worldwide, including Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Jon Rahm in LIV Golf tournaments. So it is natural that he has to play his best golf to stay competitive and remain on the tour.

He has openly criticized the DP World Tour for not partnering with LIV Golf. “Anyone who knows anything about world golf knows that the DP World Tour made the wrong decision three or four years ago when they had the opportunity to go with the Saudis. ‘I think most of the players have realised that,'” said Richard Bland.

His comments refer to the opportunity Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) offered the DP World Tour. But the DP World Tour chose to strengthen its strategic alliance with the PGA Tour. They agreed on a 13-year partnership to protect their position and restrict cooperation with LIV Golf. On the other hand, the PGA Tour declined a $1.3 billion offer from LIV Golf.

Bland’s dilemma highlights the difficult choices golfers face today. His decision will shape the remainder of his senior tour.