Report: LIV Golf pro in talks to settle astronomical fines

England's Richard Bland has confirmed in an interview with bunkered that he's trying to get LIV Golf's financiers to settle his $1m fines with the DP World Tour as he maps out a future beyond the PIF-backed league. 

Bland, 52, was among the first wave of players to be recruited by the breakaway tour at the height of the golf wars in June 2022. 

The Englishman, who racked up nearly 500 starts on the European Tour before he decamped with the likes of Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell, resigned from the circuit in July 2023. 

By that point, Bland had accumulated a whopping $1m in fines for the LIV Golf events he competed in without having secured a tournament release. 

Since then, his LIV Golf career earnings to date have now surpassed $16m. 

Bland always maintained that when his LIV Golf career came to an end he would essentially ride off into the sunset and enjoy a schedule that is primarily on the senior tours. 

The golfer told bunkered that his plan hasn't changed, but he clearly needs to keep his options open. 

In the future, he would like to play in the Senior Open. Currently, he is prohibited from competing owing to the fact that is run by the DP World Tour and the R&A. 

Bland told the publication: "With my fines being outstanding, the door is firmly shut right now so I'm looking into having those paid.

"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.”

"Going forward with some senior golf, to be able to play the Senior British Open, it would be something I would love to have a chance to win that one day, being a British player."

Bland also said he would like to play in the Dunhill Links Championship and the British Masters. 

It took Bland 477 starts before he finally won on the European Tour in 2021 at the Belfry. 

"We'll see," he added. "I've not been a member of the Tour for the last two-and-a-half years, so I haven't been fined for that amount of time. 

"But my outstanding fines for when I first joined still stand and they need to be settled before I can do anything.

"If I do re-join the tour and play LIV tournaments, I would be fined again and then I'm responsible for those fines. It would purely be more for the future that I would be doing it for.

"It's just a matter of getting the correct figure, passing that on to them. It's on my to-do list this week to speak to the Tour and get that figure. So yeah, I'm in the process of that right now."

Greg Norman opens up on LIV Golf tenure

Greg Norman's time with LIV Golf came to an abrupt end in January when he was replaced in the top job by Scott O'Neil. 

LIV officials said Norman would remain with the breakaway in some capacity but the controversial Australian later revealed in an emotional Instagram post that he would no longer have any association. 

Now, he has given his first proper interview since the split. 

Talking to Australian Golf Digest, Norman said that he struggled with the abuse he received. 

He said that people were misunderstood about his intentions and, despite the flack, he would do it all again in a heartbeat. 

Dustin Johnson dismisses retirement talk

Dustin Johnson previously revealed plans to retire in his mid-40s. 

Some speculated that Johnson would be retiring sooner given his abject form in 2025. 

Johnson managed one top-five finish with LIV and missed three cuts in the majors. 

He showed signs of life last week at the Dunhill Links Championship. 

There, he also outlined plans to make the 2027 US Ryder Cup team.