Bernhard Langer

Langer's Czech-born father settled in Bavaria after jumping from a Russian train filled with prisoners war-bound for Siberia. Started golf at age 9 as a caddie in Anhausen, Germany, and spent the next seven years practicing and playing as much golf as he could between caddie duties. At 15, took a job as an assistant professional at the Munich Golf and Country Club. Joined the European Tour at age 18, winning for the first time in 1980 at the Dunlop Masters. In 1981, he led the Order of Merit and won three times, including the German Open, where he was the first native to win in the event's 70-year history. After 1985, he split his time between Europe and the United States, having his best year on the PGA Tour in 1985 with wins at the Masters and the Heritage Classic seven days later.
Captained the 2004 European Ryder Cup team. A member of 10 European Ryder Cup teams (1981, '83, '85, '87, '89, '91, '93, '95, '97 and 2002). Was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2002, shortly before claiming his 42nd title on the European Tour at the Volvo Masters Andalucia at Club de Golf Valderrama. There, he tied with Colin Montgomerie following a superb final-round 67, becoming the only player in tour history to share a victory in two events. He had a similar playoff experience with Seve Ballesteros in 1986 when the Trophee Lancome was abandoned due to darkness.
Led the European Tour Order of Merit twice (1981 and '84) and was among the top-30 money winners every year except one (39th in 1996) from 1980 to 2002.
Finished as the PGA Tour Champions' money leader in 2008, '09, '10, '12, '13 and '14. His 2010 season was highlighted by wins at the Senior British Open at Carnoustie and the U.S. Senior Open at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington, where he defeated Fred Couples by three strokes.
In 2011, he made 14 PGA Tour Champions appearances due to left-thumb surgery that kept him out of action from late March until mid-June. The highlight of his year came in his third start when he won the ACE Group Classic.
2012 Notes: Became the Champions Tour's first four-time winner of the Arnold Palmer Award as the leading money-winner when he passed the $2-million mark ($2,140,296) for the fourth time in the last five years. Finished in the top-10 in 14 of his last 15 starts, and placed second to Tom Lehman in the year-long Charles Schwab Cup race, losing by 435 points, though he took two titles that season. Won the Nedbank Champions Challenge in November in South Africa.
2013 Notes: Returned to the winner's circle at the ACE Group Classic and Gwinnett Championship, winning his fifth money title in the previous six years, earning $2,448,428 in official money, $200,000 more than runner-up Kenny Perry. In 24 starts, had 18 top-10 finishes.
2014 Notes: Earned Player of the Year honors for an unprecedented fourth time (2008 '09, '10 and '14), on the strength of five victories, the most by a player in a season since he won five in 2010. Two of the wins were in majors, at the British Senior Open and later defeating Jeff Sluman to win the Constellation Senior Players. With fellow countryman Martin Kaymer winning The Players Championship a month before, it was the first time professionals from the same country other than the United States have held both tours' Players Championship titles in the same year. Also won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship, Insperity Invitational and the Dick's Sporting Goods Open. In 21 PGA Tour Champions starts, had 18 top-10 finishes, winning the Charles Schwab Cup and the money race. Ended his year in fine fashion in December when he teamed with his son, Jason, to win the PNC Father/Son Challenge in Orlando, Fla., by two strokes over Davis Love III and son, Dru.
2015 Notes: Earned his 24th victory when he successfully defended his Constellation Senior Players title at Belmont CC near Boston, with a six-shot win over Kirk Triplett. Became the first player since Arnold Palmer (1984-85) to win consecutive Constellation Senior Players. Also tied Miller Barber for 4th place on the all-time victory list. Shot four consecutive rounds in the 60s and led wire-to-wire, joining Palmer (1985) and Jack Nicklaus (1990) as players to win the Constellation Senior Players leading from start to finish. His fifth career major title came in his 157th start and extended to nine his streak of consecutive years winning at least one PGA Tour Champions event, matching the second-longest streak in the tour's history. At 57 years, 9 months, 18 days, he became the second-oldest winner of the Constellation Senior Players (Raymond Floyd, 57 years, 10 months, 12 days in 2000). The victory ended a drought of just over nine months, and it was the first time since 2012 that he had not won a title before the start of June. Finished T-5th at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship, five shots behind winner Miguel Angel Jimenez. Earned his second top-10 of the year with a T-9th finish at the Tucson Conquistadores. He was runner-up at the Greater Gwinnett Championship, finished T-5th at the Regions Tradition, 6th at the Senior PGA Championship and T-3rd at the U.S. Senior Open. Was 2nd at the Senior Open Championship, 3M Championship, and Boeing Classic. Finished T-3rd at the SAS Championship, won the San Antonio Championship and lost a playoff to Billy Andrade at the Charles Schwab Cup. Finished the year 1st in the Schwab rankings for the third time and led the money list for the seventh time.
2016 Notes: Langer won early, at the Chubb Classic in February, and later at the Regions Tradition. They were his 26th and 27th victories on the PGA Tour Champions. The latter title moved him into 3rd place on the all-time wins list behind Hale Irwin (45) and Lee Trevino (29). Had an impressive showing at the Masters, just two strokes shy of 54-hole leader Jordan Spieth, but a closing-round 79 left him T-24th at the finish in his 33rd appearance at Augusta National. At the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf, he finished T-8th with Tom Lehman. Played at his 25th Players Championship, but missed the cut after consecutive rounds of 72. Won the Regions Tradition, and the next week finished T-3rd at the Senior PGA Championship. Captured his third 2016 title at the Constellation Senior Players. Finished 3rd at the 3M Championship, two shots out of the playoff. Two weeks after finishing T-11th at the U.S. Senior Open, Langer won the Boeing Classic, making a four-foot birdie putt at the first playoff hole to defeat Woody Austin and Kevin Sutherland. In his next six starts, finished runner-up four times, including the last event of the year, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Won his fourth and third-consecutive Charles Schwab Cup title. He also recorded his eighth Arnold Palmer Award as the Tour's leading money winner, as well as a record sixth Jack Nicklaus Award as the Player of the Year. He won the Byron Nelson Award for the lowest scoring average for the fifth time, matching Don January's record.
2017 Notes: Started the year by winning his 30th career Champions Tour title when he defeated Fred Couples by a shot in the weather-shortened Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. The win broke a tie for second place in career victories with Lee Trevino at 29 and gave him sole possession of second place behind Hale Irwin, who owns 45 career titles. Finished T-6th at the Chubb Classic, 3rd at the Tucson Conquistadores, T-3rd at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic and 2nd at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic. Watched his record streak of consecutive sub-par rounds come to a close at 36 when he shot a one-over-par 73 in the second round of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in April. He had started the streak at the 2016 Boeing Classic. Of his 36 rounds, 28 were in the 60s and he averaged 67.69 during his impressive run. Won his 8th and 9th Champions Tour majors with wins at the Regions Tradition and Senior PGA Championship, which was the last Champions major to elude him. Added another major with a three-shot win at The Senior Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl in Wales. With his 10th major victory, he not only is the first player to win the career "super slam" of all five majors, he has won more Champions majors than anyone else, passing Jack Nicklaus' eight total wins. Added three more titles at the Pure Insurance Championship, Dominion Energy Charity and winning a playoff over Miguel Angel Jimenez at the PowerShares QQQ Championship. The only downside to the year was that he led the Charles Schwab Cup race for the majority of the season and narrowly missed claiming a fourth consecutive title and fifth overall when he lost a playoff with Kevin Sutherland at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Still, he won the money title with earnings of $3,677,359, the biggest haul ever on the PGA Tour Champions Tour.
2018 Notes: Finished 2nd at the Boca Raton Championship, his 150th career PGA Tour Champions top-10 finish. Has been runner-up three times, two of them coming after losing a playoff. The first 2nd was at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, where he lost a playoff to Steve Flesch. The next came at the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf when Langer and his partner Tom Lehman lost a playoff to Paul Broadhurst and Kirk Triplett. Was T-2nd at the Principal Charity Classic, 2 shots back of winner Tom Lehman. Won the Insperity Invitational, defeating Paul Goydos, Bart Bryant and Jeff Maggert by a shot. With the win, Langer had a victory in every year of his PGA Tour Champions career. It's now 12 consecutive years, the most of anyone in Champions Tour history. For those wondering why Langer didn't play in the Senior PGA Championship, his son was graduating and Bernhard wanted to attend. Was 2nd at the Senior Open Championship, won again at the SAS Championship and was runner-up at the Dominion Energy Charity. Captured his record fifth Charles Schwab Cup, won the money title ($2,222,154) for the seventh consecutive year and finished with the tour's best scoring average (69.01) for the fifth consecutive year. He has a tour-record five wins at the age of 60 or older, and 38 victories overall. He led the tour with 14 top-10s, and his six runner-up finishes were his most in a single season.
2019 Notes: Finished T-3rd at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. At the Oasis Championship, birdied five of his first seven holes en route to a five-shot win. Bogeyed the first playoff hole and lost to Miguel Angel Jimenez in a three-man playoff at the Chubb Classic. Finished T-5th at the Rapiscan Systems and T-6th at the Regions Tradition. After the Chubb Championship, Langer was at home practicing when he felt some pain in his rib and stomach area. In visit with his doctor, he was advised to not play for a couple of days. He came back and was T-5th at the Rapiscan and T-6th at the Regions, but after the Senior PGA Championship he took some time off, returning at the American Family Insurance Championship.