The English veteran is one of the marquee names playing Foxhills Club & Resort in Surrey from 8-11 August, in the fourth of 10 elevated Asian Tour events that offer a direct pathway onto the LIV Golf League for players from all over the world.
The 51-year-old has already shown incredible form this season, roaring to a three-shot victory at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship which took place on Michigan’s Harbor Shores in May, his first ever senior major.
He followed that up in July with a play-off win over Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita to claim the US Senior Open at Newport Country Club on Rhode Island.
That form will come as no surprise to anyone who remembers the incredible moment at The Belfry in 2021 when Bland held his nerve to secure an emotional play-off victory in the Betfred British Masters for his first ever DP World Tour victory at the age of 48.
Since then, Bland has kicked on in the LIV Golf League set-up. A member of Cleeks GC, Bland is sitting comfortably among some of the more high-profile superstar names in the top 24 after some excellent displays this season – including top-10 finishes in Hong Kong and Nashville.
Is Bland simply getting better with age? “I guess I have got better,” he said. “LIV has made me better. To play against Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson and those guys every time I play, I have to bring my best game if I want to compete, because those guys are the best in the world.
“I have no other way to go about it when going up against the best in the world, I have to bring my best game. And that just elevates you. Just being in that frame of mind, is so important and fortunately it is working out.”
Bland will be up against a strong field including Majesticks GC stars Ian Poulter and Sam Horsfield, as well as Crushers GC player Anirban Lahiri, who lost out to Sergio Garcia of Fireballs GC in a thrilling play-off at LIV Golf Andalucia last time out.
Northern Ireland’s former US Open champion Graeme McDowell of Smash GC will also line up in an international field alongside 4Aces GC star Harold Varner III from America, Branden Grace from the South African Stinger GC team and Thomas Pieters, the Belgian RangeGoats GC player.
The cream of the Asian Tour will also be represented with Ben Campbell, the recent International Series Morocco champion and American John Catlin, the current Rankings leader and two-time champion this season, who narrowly lost out in a thrilling play-off to the New Zealander on Rabat’s Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s Red Course.
India’s Rayhan Thomas will also join the field after an impressive T8 finish in his first Asian Tour professional start at International Series Morocco.
While Bland hopes for a home advantage on the tree-lined Longcross Course at Foxhills Club & Resort, just 10 minutes from his home, he doesn’t believe it will be a contributing factor.
He said: “Yes, it is perfect for me this year. It is not often you can play a golf tournament and go home to sleep in your own bed. I hope there will be lots of home support, it is always nice to be able to play at home and have English crowds follow and support.
“Will it give me an advantage? I don’t think so. I last played the course a long time ago, going back to my amateur days. It is a beautiful, picturesque tree-lined course but the guys in the field are all great players and anyone who plays that event can win it, so I will have to bring my best game to be in the mix come Sunday.”
Bland believes the younger LIV Golf League stars who choose to participate in the Asian Tour-sanctioned events are gaining invaluable global experience.
Legion XIII star Caleb Surratt, the youngest player on the LIV Golf League aged just 20, got his first taste of the series in a tie for third alongside Eugenio Chacarra of Fireballs GC at International Series Morocco last time out, with the pair finishing just behind Campbell and Catlin.
Bland finished T22 in last year’s International Series England at Close House, which was won by Andy Ogletree. That result helped the promising American to the overall rankings title and an automatic place on the LIV roster with Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC.
He said: “These events on the Asian Tour are run very well, they always have been but they are even more so now as the tours evolve and create better experiences for the players, from course set-up to everything else that goes into putting on an elite-level tournament.
“These young guys have so much potential and the more they can play around the world, the more grasses and different climates they can experience, it all adds to making complete golfers. They are going to be world-class players, I’m glad I don’t have to compete with them for too much longer!”
International Series England takes place at Foxhills Club & Resort from 8-11 August. For tickets and information, please visit www.internationalseries.com
