LIV Golf pro outlines retirement plans: "I've had one helluva ride out here"

LIV Golf's Richard Bland has outlined his plans for retirement. 

The Englishman was among the first wave of players to be recruited by the breakaway tour in 2022. 

He has enjoyed a late-career surge since, with the now 53-year-old winning two senior major championships and avoiding relegation with LIV Golf as part of Martin Kaymer's Cleeks quartet. 

But Bland knows his days are numbered and outlined after the second round of LIV Golf's stop in Virginia that 2027 will be the final year he plays full-time before taking a step back. 

There is a chance Bland could join his fellow former LIV peer Pat Perez on the over-50s PGA Tour Champions. 

But Bland believe he's the only senior major champion not to receive the exemption to play on the circuit. 

"From what I've been told, I'm not hugely welcome there," said Bland. 

"As far as I'm aware, I was never given the exemption. I'm the only senior major champion never to get that exemption, and that's fine, I don't have an issue with that. I think the Champions Tour have made it pretty now impossible for anybody to come and play.

"I'm not going to go chasing it. I'll be 54 years old, but I'm going to be banned for a year anyway. Like you say, I got asked the question the other day, would you consider going back to DP World Q-School? No."

Bland said he hopes to still be affiliated with his LIV Golf team in the future. 

"Even if it's taking the TrackMans back to the clubhouse or something like that," he said. 

"I would love to stay on board with the Cleeks in some way. That's down to [general managers] Jonas and Johan, whether they want me or they don't.

"I'll come to some events as a spectator and just do the things that I want to do and live my life with my wife and go play where I want to go play. 

"As much as I'm out here grinding and I still love that and I want to do well, but I know it's not too far in the distance now."

He added: "I kind of earmarked next year would probably be my last year of playing full-time, as I do right now. Then going forward, really kind of scattered, but play where I want to play.

"For me right now, I'm 53. For me, the travel is the hard bit. My body just doesn't recover as quickly as probably somebody like David Puig or Caleb Surratt does if they're on a flight for 12 hours. 

"That's been the hard thing for me is recovery, getting ready for tournaments.

"So, yeah, semi-retirement, it's getting a lot nearer and that's fine. I'm okay with that. I've had one helluva ride out here and the best decision I ever made."

Australia's Lucas Herbert holds a six-shot lead over Sergio Garcia at the halfway stage of LIV Golf Virginia. 

The 30-year-old will earn an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills should he get over the line.