Richard Bland hopes to script Cinderella story at Match Play

AUSTIN, Texas – Richard Bland doesn’t fancy himself a basketball fan – he’s from the other U.K. – but he knows enough about the sport to appreciate the comparison. As 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s get set for its Sweet 16 matchup Friday night with Purdue on the hardwood, Bland is hoping for some March madness of his own at the WGC-Dell Match Play.

Like the Peacocks, Bland, who last year wore a swan-logoed hat at the U.S. Open, is the ultimate flier.

“No one’s expecting me to get through,” Bland said Tuesday morning at Austin Country Club, where he’s competing as the No. 54 seed.

A few moments earlier, Bland had been hitting balls next to his first-day opponent, Bryson DeChambeau, who headlines a…