THE two-year wait for an Open Championship will finally be over on Thursday as Richard Bland hits “humbling” opening tee-shot at Royal St George’s, in “something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

The Southampton golfer won his first European Tour title at the 478th attempt in May, with victory in the Betfred British Masters at The Belfry.

Bland, 48, defeated Guido Migliozzi in a play-off to become the oldest first-time winner in European Tour history and has now been awarded the opening tee-shot of the world’s oldest golf major.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the tournament took a forced hiatus last season but returns on Thursday with up to 32,000 fans a day as part of a government test event.

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Bland said: “Martin Slumbers called me on Sunday, I was just arriving at The Renaissance Club for the last round of the Scottish (Open).

“He said over the last ten years they’ve made a big thing about who gets the first tee-shot, Darren (Clarke) had the first shot at Portrush, his local club, and he said it’s a really big honour.

It’s an honour for me now but once the actual Open is starting and I’ve got the first shot that honour and my expectation will go up no end.”

He added: “I’m truly grateful to the R&A that they’ve recognised what I’ve done this year, the first tee-shot will be very humbling something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Bland has been out getting to grips on the course with 2011 Open winner Darren Clarke, the Northern Irishman local to Royal Portrush.

The win was Clarke’s first major win, aged 42, with Bland hoping to absorb some of his expertise and experience before opening the tournament with a tee time of 6:35am.

He said: “Darren’s great, he’s sent me a couple messages recently and he’s a good guy. I wanted to get out with him and pick his brain a bit as I haven’t played at St Georges before.

“I only saw the course yesterday for the first time so I’m just trying to catch his knowledge of how to play the course, and who better than the guy who lifted the Claret Jug ten years ago.

“That’s the thing with major golf where it’s a little bit different to what we play week-in week-out, you have to stick to a course management strategy and sometimes it’s not about hitting it to ten feet and holeing putts.

“It’s about being sensible and smart and don’t be too aggressive if you don’t have to be. But it’s been great being out with him.”