Made HimmerLand 2021 R1
May 27-30
HimmerLand, Farsø, Denmark
€1,500,000
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Richard Bland won his first European Tour title two weeks ago at the Belfry after 478 attempts and continues his fine form, putting himself back in contention this week in Denmark.

Made HimmerLand 2021 R1

Bland made an eagle on the par five eighth as well as four birdies and a single bogey to join defending champion Bernd Wiesberger, Korean Yikeun Chang, Spain’s Pablo Larrazábal and Finland’s Lauri Ruuska at the top of the leaderboard with 5-under 66s.

“I was just happy to get back out playing to be honest,” said Bland. “I hadn’t really done a lot last week, I played once with some friends and did a little bit of practice.

“I was coming in a little bit unprepared, but sometimes that’s not always a bad thing. I just tried to carry on where I left off and managed to do that.”

Made HimmerLand 2021 R1

Wiesberger moved into contention with birdies on the 4th, 5th and 6th holes before making an eagle on the par-5 8th. Bogeys at the 9th and 13th set him back but he closed with back-to-back birdies on the final holes.

“I like it around here,” he said. “It was a good day, a steady start but a lot of scoring in – like in the last five or six competitive rounds.

“It was nice to get a couple of early birdies – putts dropped and a bonus on the eighth. It turned to the tricky part of the golf course, I dropped a couple of shots there but stayed with it and was rewarded on the last two greens with some birdies. Quite a solid day and I’m very happy with the start.”

Made HimmerLand 2021 R1

Ruuska usually plays in the Nordic Golf League and is playing this week on a National Spot exemption, scored a hole-in-one at the par-three 16th.

“It’s ten years since I came to a European Tour event for the first time as a spectator and ten years since I last had a hole-in-one,” he said.

“A 50-degree wedge, 98 metres to the pin and it span back and went straight in the hole. It was a pretty awesome feeling. My first European Tour round, so it’s pretty nice.”

Made HimmerLand 2021 R1

Larrazábal was the only leader who completed a bogey-free round.

“I just turned 38 and these guys are 20-21, hitting 50 yards longer than me. In conditions like these, in tricky conditions, everything levels out.

“It’s all about grinding out there and hitting shots and knowing how to move the ball from right to left, left to right, low, high. It’s not a bomber’s course - this is a European Tour golf course.”

Made HimmerLand 2021 R1