John Bland | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bland at the 2010 Dutch Senior Open | |||||
Personal information | |||||
Full name | John Louis Bland | ||||
Born | Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa | 22 September 1945||||
Died | 9 May 2023 George, Western Cape, South Africa | (aged 77)||||
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||
Weight | 73 kg (161 lb; 11.5 st) | ||||
Sporting nationality | ![]() | ||||
Career | |||||
Turned professional | 1969 | ||||
Former tour(s) | European Tour Sunshine Tour Champions Tour European Senior Tour | ||||
Professional wins | 36 | ||||
Highest ranking | 49 (28 April 1991)[1] | ||||
Number of wins by tour | |||||
European Tour | 2 | ||||
Sunshine Tour | 19 | ||||
Challenge Tour | 1 | ||||
PGA Tour Champions | 5 | ||||
European Senior Tour | 3 | ||||
Other | 6 | ||||
Best results in major championships | |||||
Masters Tournament | DNP | ||||
PGA Championship | DNP | ||||
U.S. Open | DNP | ||||
The Open Championship | T16: 1980 | ||||
Achievements and awards | |||||
|
John Louis Bland (22 September 1945 – 9 May 2023) was a South African professional golfer who won more than thirty professional tournaments around the world.
Early life and career
[edit]Bland was born in Johannesburg, Union of South Africa. Turning professional in 1969, he was a leading player on the Southern African Tour for over twenty years. He spent the northern summers playing on the European Tour, where he won twice. He was a more consistent contender than this tally might suggest, as he finished in the top-20 on the Order of Merit six times.
After reaching the age of fifty in 1995, Bland played mainly on the United States-based Champions Tour. He won five tournaments on the tour, including four in 1996, when he finished third on the money list. He has also won three tournaments on the European Senior Tour.
Death
[edit]Bland died after battling cancer in George, Western Cape, South Africa, on 9 May 2023, at the age of 77.[2][3]
Professional wins (36)
[edit]European Tour wins (2)
[edit]No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 21 Aug 1983 | Benson & Hedges International Open | −15 (68-70-67-68=273) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
2 | 20 Apr 1986 | Suze Open | −12 (68-71-70-67=276) | 4 strokes | ![]() |
Southern Africa Tour wins (19)
[edit]Legend |
---|
Tour Championships (2) |
Other Southern Africa Tour (17) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 22 Oct 1977 | Lexington PGA Championship | −5 (68-67-70-70=275) | 2 strokes | ![]() |
2 | 29 Oct 1977 | Victoria Falls Classic | −9 (70-69-72-72=283) | 3 strokes | ![]() |
3 | 3 Dec 1977 | Holiday Inns Invitational | −23 (67-66-65-67=265) | 4 strokes | ![]() |
4 | 7 Feb 1979 | Holiday Inns Open (2) | −21 (66-69-65-67=267) | Playoff | ![]() |
5 | 17 Jan 1981 | Sigma Series 2 | −15 (71-65-70-67=273) | 3 strokes | ![]() |
6 | 24 Jan 1981 | Sigma Series 3 | −15 (71-66-66-70=273) | 1 stroke | ![]() ![]() |
7 | 26 Feb 1983 | Holiday Inns Pro-Am (3) | −17 (68-65-68-70=271) | 2 strokes | ![]() |
8 | 5 Mar 1983 | Kodak Golf Classic | −17 (65-67-70-69=271) | Playoff | ![]() |
9 | 22 Dec 1984 | Goodyear Classic | −11 (68-69-72-68=277) | Playoff | ![]() |
10 | 20 Dec 1987 | Goodyear Classic (2) | −3 (71-69-72-69=281) | 2 strokes | ![]() |
11 | 13 Mar 1988 | Trustbank Tournament of Champions | −20 (67-66-67-68=268) | 3 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
12 | 26 Nov 1988 | Safmarine South African Masters | −13 (69-70-63-73=275) | 3 strokes | ![]() |
13 | 7 Jan 1989 | Dewar's White Label Trophy | −15 (70-66-71-66=273) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
14 | 3 Mar 1990 | Dewar's White Label Trophy (2) | −14 (64-70-71-69=274) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
15 | 17 Nov 1990 | Minolta Copiers Match Play | −2 (70) | 5 strokes | ![]() |
16 | 15 Dec 1990 | Bloemfontein Classic | −15 (65-67-73-68=273) | 6 strokes | ![]() |
17 | 12 Jan 1991 | Palabora Classic | −10 (70-69-68-71=278) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
18 | 23 Feb 1991 | Bell's Cup | −11 (68-67-71-71=277) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
19 | 2 Mar 1991 | Trustbank Tournament of Champions (2) | −19 (62-71-70-66=269) | 7 strokes | ![]() |
Southern Africa Tour playoff record (3–1)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1979 | Holiday Inns Open | ![]() |
Won with par on fifth extra hole |
2 | 1981 | Datsun South African Open | ![]() ![]() |
Player won with birdie on third extra hole after 18-hole playoff; Player: −2 (70), Bland: −2 (70), Humphreys: E (72) |
3 | 1983 | Kodak Golf Classic | ![]() |
Won with par on third extra hole |
4 | 1984 | Goodyear Classic | ![]() |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
Challenge Tour wins (1)
[edit]- 1991 Martini Open
Other wins (2)
[edit]Senior PGA Tour wins (5)
[edit]No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 22 Oct 1995 | Ralphs Senior Classic | −12 (69-67-65=201) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
2 | 21 Jan 1996 | Puerto Rico Senior Tournament of Champions | −9 (69-68-70=207) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
3 | 2 Jun 1996 | Bruno's Memorial Classic | −8 (67-70-71=208) | Playoff | ![]() ![]() |
4 | 18 Aug 1996 | Northville Long Island Classic | −14 (70-66-66=202) | 3 strokes | ![]() |
5 | 13 Oct 1996 | The Transamerica | −12 (69-69-66=204) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1996 | Bruno's Memorial Classic | ![]() ![]() |
Won with bogey on third extra hole Zarley eliminated by par on second hole |
2 | 1997 | Senior British Open | ![]() |
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
European Senior Tour wins (3)
[edit]No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 Oct 1995 | London Masters | −6 (70-69-71=210) | 4 strokes | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2 | 9 Aug 2009 | Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open | −11 (65-69-65=199) | Playoff | ![]() |
3 | 20 Jun 2010 | Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open | −8 (69-68-71=208) | 1 stroke | ![]() ![]() |
European Senior Tour playoff record (1–1)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1997 | Senior British Open | ![]() |
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
2 | 2009 | Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open | ![]() |
Won with birdie on second extra hole |
Other senior wins (4)
[edit]- 1997 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Graham Marsh), Franklin Templeton Senior South African Open
- 1998 Franklin Templeton Senior South African Open
- 2010 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Raphael Division (with Graham Marsh)
Results in major championships
[edit]Tournament | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | CUT | T52 | CUT | T16 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | T53 | T80 |
Note: Bland only played in The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984 Open Championships)
"T" = tied
Team appearances
[edit]- World Cup (representing South Africa): 1975
- Hennessy Cognac Cup (representing the Rest of the World): 1982
- Dunhill Cup (representing South Africa): 1991, 1992
References
[edit]- ^ "Week 17 1991 Ending 28 Apr 1991" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ^ "SA golfer John Bland passes away". The Citizen. South Africa. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ "Statement on the passing of John Bland". Sunshine Tour. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
External links
[edit]- John Bland at the European Tour official site
- John Bland at the PGA Tour official site
- John Bland at the Sunshine Tour official site
- John Bland at the Official World Golf Ranking official site