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When you read a bio of Richard Bland and see that he got on Tour in 1998 and didn’t win until 2021, then you watch his swing, you must wonder what in the world kept him out of the winner’s circle. Of course, there are as many reasons why players fail to win as there are facets of the game, and who knows what has bedeviled him in the past. But he had his breakthrough win last month at the British Masters, and now is tied for the lead in the U.S. Open after 36 holes. His swing is spot on and demonstrates everything I teach other than the hand path from the top (which drops down a bit before heading out toward the ball), but his great addition of hip depth in the backswing and retention of that depth in the forward swing creates plenty of room for his right arm as he approaches impact. There is no hint of the new school of jumping up into impact and the overall look of it is quiet and under control. It doesn’t hurt that he is putting extremely well so far in the first two rounds, and I look for him to be around on the final 9 on Sunday.
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