5 facts about Richard Bland, a surprise contender at the U.S. Open

Meet the guy who led at one point during Friday’s second-round action.

It’s perfectly OK to admit that you didn’t put money down on Richard Bland to be in contention during the second round of the 2021 U.S. Open.

He was the longest of longshots, with 400-to-1 odds to win the toughest of tournaments ahead of the start at Torrey Pines on Thursday, and as of publishing this post, he’s six-under and leading on Friday with other contenders getting ready to tee off thanks to a five-under (!!) second round.

So who is this guy? Glad you asked. Here are some facts about the golfer who skyrocketed up the leaderboard heading into the weekend: