LIV Golf penalise and smack fine on player for slow play in Chicago

Richard Bland was assessed a one-stroke penalty and fined $10,000 for violating LIV Golf's pace of play policy during the opening round of LIV Golf Chicago.

Bland, 51, was joined in the first round by playing partners Charl Schwartzel and Patrick Reed.

The group was warned by a rules official after their fifth hole of the round, the 10th hole, that they were out of position and needed to pick up the pace.

Then after their seventh hole of the round, the 12th hole, the group had lost further position on the course.

On the 12th hole, Bland's second stroke was timed over the allotted 40 seconds per shot policy on LIV Golf and thus he was handed a one-shot penalty.

Bland was also informed he would be fined $10,000 as a result of the pace of play penalty. 

The Cleeks player went on to card a round of 1-over 71. 

Scroll below for the official explanation provided by LIV Golf following Bland's one-stroke penalty and $10,000 fine...

In round one of LIV Golf Chicago, the group of Charl Schwartzel, Patrick Reed and Richard Bland were officially warned by a rules official after their fifth hole of the day (hole 10, where the group was out of position on the golf course as well as behind in relation to time par.

After their seventh hole of the day (hole 12), the group, who had further lost position on the course, was officially timed by a rules official.

In accordance with the LIV Golf League's Pace of Play Policy, 'a player has 40 seconds to play each stroke, with an additional 10 seconds if they are the first to play any stroke in the group.'

On the 12th hole, Bland's second stroke was timed exceeding the allotted time per policy. Bland was immediately notified by an official and assessed a one-stroke penalty as well as fined $10,000. 

Bland's score for the par-5 14th hole, including the one-stroke penalty, resulted in a score of five. Bland finished the round with a score of 1-over 71.

Bland was ranked 19th in the LIV Golf League standings on the eve of this week's final regular event of the season.

Brooks Koepka continued his recent good play by surging to the top of the leaderboard in Chicago with a blistering 8-under 62.

Koepka leads by four over England's Paul Casey heading into the weekend. 

Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann are fighting out the individual championship this week.

It looks like the race to the season-long title will be going to the wire with Niemann on 2-under par and Rahm a further shot back on 1-under par.

Smith: "I'm not sure what planet Jon Rahm is on right now, but it's clearly not Earth"

LIV Golf dropped a bombshell on the eve of this week's tournament with reports confirming none of the player captains are safe from relegation.

It had been widely assumed that all player captains would remain on LIV Golf even if they ended the season in the drop zone.

But that is not the case, meaning the likes of Bubba Watson and even Phil Mickelson and Ian Poulter could be in danger of the boot.

Should any of the player captains end this week in the drop zone, prior to next week's Team Championship in Dallas, it will then be down to whether LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman wants to invite them back for 2025. 

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