Bernhard Langer has announced that this year’s Masters tournament at Augusta National will be his last after forty appearances and winning two green jackets.
Langer won his first Masters title in just his third appearances in 1985 which secured him a lifetime of starts in the tournament before he added his second green jacket in his eleventh appearance in 1993. The German legend registered seven further top-10 finishes including a share of 4th in his Ryder Cup captaincy year and an eye-catching share of 8th in 2014 when he was aged 56.
“It’s going to be my last Masters this year, I have already decided on that and it will probably be my last US Open unless some miracle happens in the future,” said the 66-year-old.
“It’s exciting but I am aware that I will be hitting 3-irons and 2-hybrids when the guys are hitting nine irons into the green and that’s tough to compete against but that’s a challenge and I don’t shy away from challenges.
The trip down Magnolia Lane in the first week of April is a tradition unlike any other in the game of golf and for Langer this will be his last in a competitive sense but he will still be a presence at Augusta National for the various pre-tournament activities including the Champions Dinner.
Langer has missed his last three Masters cuts, each time failing to shoot lower than 74 as Augusta’s ever increasing length negates his skills. The fantastic T8 finish in 2014 is his only top-20 finish in his last 17 appearances.
The Masters won’t be Langer’s last major championship appearance, he is penciled in to compete at Pinehurst in this summer’s US Open having won the US Senior’s Open last year.
Depending on how many other senior majors he picks up, this could be his last major championship jaunt.
“I’ve only played Pinehurst once and that wasn’t brilliant. For me it was difficult to make the ball stop on the crowned greens. I remember the last time I played a US Open there I hit some good five irons landing near the hole and going over the green, just couldn’t stop it.
“I don’t have the Nicklaus shot that goes high and comes down like a butterfly with sore feet!”
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