| Intro | South African professional golfer |
| Is | Athlete Golfer |
| From | South Africa |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 22 September 1945, Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Age: | 74 years |
| Star sign | Virgo |
John Louis Bland (born 22 September 1945) is a South African professional golfer who has won more than thirty professional tournaments around the world.
Bland was born in Johannesburg. 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 in this venue, including four in 1996, when he finished third on the money list. He has also won three tournaments on the European Senior Tour.
Bland is a friend of fellow South African golfer Gary Player and regularly plays in the Gary Player Invitational charity golf series to raise money for children’s causes around the world.
Professional wins (36)
European Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 Aug 1983 | Benson and Hedges International Open | −15 (68-70-67-68=273) | 1 stroke | Bernhard Langer |
| 2 | 20 Apr 1986 | Suze Open | −12 (68-71-70-67=276) | 4 strokes | Seve Ballesteros |
Challenge Tour wins (1)
- 1991 Martini Open
Southern Africa Tour wins (21)
- 1970 Transvaal Open
- 1977 Holiday Inns Champion of Champions, Victoria Falls Classic, South African PGA Championship
- 1979 Holiday Inns Invitational
- 1981 Sigma Series 2, Sigma Series 3
- 1983 Holiday Inns Invitational, Kodak Classic
- 1984 Goodyear Classic
- 1987 Goodyear Classic
- 1988 Trustbank Tournament of Champions, Safmarine Masters
- 1989 Dewar’s White Label Trophy
- 1990 Dewar’s White Label Trophy, Minolta Match Play, Spoomet Bloemfontein Classic
- 1991 Palabora Classic, Bell’s Cup, Trustbank Tournament of Champions, Martini Open
Senior PGA Tour wins (5)
| 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 | Jim Colbert |
| 2 | 21 Jan 1996 | Puerto Rico Senior Tournament of Champions | −9 (69-68-70=207) | 1 stroke | Jim Colbert |
| 3 | 2 Jun 1996 | Bruno’s Memorial Classic | −8 (67-70-71=208) | Playoff | John Paul Cain, Kermit Zarley |
| 4 | 18 Aug 1996 | Northville Long Island Classic | −14 (70-66-66=202) | 3 strokes | Jim Colbert |
| 5 | 13 Oct 1996 | The Transamerica | −12 (69-69-66=204) | 1 stroke | Jim Colbert |
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996 | Bruno’s Memorial Classic | John Paul Cain, Kermit Zarley | Won with bogey on third extra hole Zarley eliminated with par on second hole |
European Senior Tour wins (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Oct 1995 | London Masters | −6 (70-69-71=210) | 4 strokes | Tony Grubb, Hugh Inggs, John Morgan, Bobby Verwey |
| 2 | 9 Aug 2009 | Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open | −11 (65-69-65=199) | Playoff | Bob Boyd |
| 3 | 20 Jun 2010 | Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open | −8 (69-68-71=208) | 1 stroke | Ángel Franco, Chris Williams |
Other senior wins (4)
- 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
| 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
- World Cup (representing South Africa): 1975
- Hennessy Cognac Cup (representing the Rest of the World): 1982
- Dunhill Cup (representing South Africa): 1991, 1992
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