Richard Bland saw his run at the 2022 WGC - Dell Technologies Match Play ended by Dustin Johnson in the last-16 but was happy to leave Austin Country Club knowing he could mix it with the very best.
The 49-year-old was making his debut at the event this week, his participation earned with the help of a first DP World Tour victory at the 478th attempt at last season's Betfred British Masters and a second-placed finish in the Rolex Series at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic.
He found himself in a group that contained former U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, former World Number One Lee Westwood and 2021 winner on the US PGA Tour Talor Gooch.
He finished All Square with DeChambeau and then defeated Gooch and Westwood to make it out of the group stages, where he came up against a man in Johnson who had won his last eight match play matches - dating back to the Ryder Cup where he finished with a perfect record.
The American - who has spent 135 weeks at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking - came out on top 3 & 2, denying Bland the chance to get into the top 50 and secure a debut at the Masters Tournament.
Thank you from the bottom of my ❤️ for all the support & messages this week! To all involved @DellMatchPlay for making it a unforgettable week for me. To all the fans out there cheering me on ❤️unfortunately DJ just to strong this morning 😏 pic.twitter.com/wPLyxtVAik
— Richard Bland (@blandy73) March 26, 2022
The Englishman will now need to win next week's Valero Texas Open on the US PGA Tour if he is to make it to Augusta National Golf Club, but he will head to TPC San Antonio knowing he belongs.
"I've learned that I can compete with these guys," he said. "How much longer I've got left doing that I don't know - hopefully a little while yet.
"When I play my way and the way I want to play I can give these guys a run for their money and I look forward to doing it again."
The dream was very much alive in the last-16 in Austin as Johnson bogeyed the second and Bland birdied the third from ten feet to go 2 Up, with the duo exchanging birdies on the fourth and fifth.
Johnson then took advantage of the par-five sixth and approaches to inside ten feet at the eighth and ninth put the two-time Major Champion up at the turn.
When I play my way and the way I want to play I can give these guys a run for their money and I look forward to doing it again
He made it three in a row with a tap-in at the tenth and while he bogeyed the 11th to give Bland hope, gains on the 12th and 16th closed out the match.
"It's been great," said Bland. "Obviously today didn't go my way but when you're playing against arguably the best player in the world, he's not going to make it easy for you.
"Even though I got 2 Up on him early, he put the squeeze on me around the turn and he got that two-hole lead.
"I wasn't quite playing my best stuff and it's tough to get back in the match when you get 2 Down to him but it's been a good week."
