Bernhard Langer

Langer's Czech-born father settled in Bavaria after jumping from a Russian train filled with prisoners of war bound for Siberia. He started golf at age 9 as a caddie in Anhausen, Germany, and spent the next seven years practicing and playing as much golf as possible between caddie duties. At 15, took a job as an assistant professional at the Munich Golf and Country Club. He 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.
He 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). He 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. 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 yearly except one (39th in 1996) from 1980 to 2002.
Finished as the PGA Tour Champions' money leader in 2008, '09, '10, '12, '13, '14, '15, '16, '17, '18, and '20-'21.
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. He defeated Fred Couples by three shots.
In 2011, he made only 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. He finished in the top 10 in 14 of his last 15 starts and placed 2nd to Tom Lehman in the year-long Charles Schwab Cup race, losing by 435 points, although he won two titles that season. He 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, he 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 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 had held both tours' Players Championship titles in the same year. He also won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship, Insperity Invitational, and the Dick's Sporting Goods Open. In 21 PGA Tour Champions starts, he had 18 top-10 finishes, winning the Charles Schwab Cup and the money race. In December, he ended his year when he teamed with his son, Jason, to win the PNC Father/Son Challenge in Orlando, Fla., by two shots over Davis Love III and his 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-stroke win over Kirk Triplett. He became the first player since Arnold Palmer (1984-85) to win consecutive Constellation Senior Players. He 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 strokes behind winner Miguel Angel Jimenez. He 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, finishing 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). He 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. He played at his 25th Players Championship but missed the cut after consecutive rounds of 72. Won the Regions Tradition and finished T-3rd at the Senior PGA Championship the following week. He captured his third 2016 title at the Constellation Senior Players. He finished 3rd at the 3M Championship, two strokes 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. He finished runner-up four times in his next six starts, including the last event of the year, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. He 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 and 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: He started the year by winning his 30th career Champions Tour title when he defeated Fred Couples by a stroke in the weather-shortened Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. The win broke a tie for 2nd place in career victories with Lee Trevino at 29 and gave him sole possession of 2nd 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. He won his eighth and ninth Champions Tour majors with titles at the Regions Tradition and Senior PGA Championship, the last Champions major to elude him. He added another major with a three-stroke 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, but he has also 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 won 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. Was 2nd at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, where he lost a playoff to Steve Flesch, and 2nd again at the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf when Langer and his partner Tom Lehman lost a playoff to Paul Broadhurst and Kirk Triplett. He finished T-2nd at the Principal Charity Classic, two strokes behind winner Tom Lehman. He won the Insperity Invitational, defeating Paul Goydos, Bart Bryant, and Jeff Maggert by a stroke. With the win, Langer claimed 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. He 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. He 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 of five wins at 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: Played in 22 PGA Tour Champions events with 12 top-10 finishes. Was 4th in the Schwab Cup rankings. He finished T-3rd at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. At the Oasis Championship, he birdied five of his first seven holes en route to a five-stroke win. Bogeyed the first playoff hole and lost to Miguel Angel Jimenez in a three-man playoff at the Chubb Classic. He 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 pain in his rib and stomach. Returned after a six-week rest and finished T-5th at the Rapiscan and T-6th at the Regions. Shot a final-round 66 to overcome a three-stroke deficit and win The Senior Open Championship for the fourth time. It was his 40th win and Tour-record 11th senior major, and he became the third player to win the same major four times. At age 61 years, 11 months, and 1 day, he became the oldest major winner in Tour history and is the Tour's sixth-oldest winner. It was his seventh win at age 60 or older. He continued his outstanding play: T-7th at the Boeing Classic, T-7th at the Ally Challenge, T-9th at the Pure Insurance Championship, and T-4th at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic. At the Invesco QQQ, he had a bogey-free, final-round 67 but made his first bogey of the day on the first extra hole of a playoff to lose to Colin Montgomerie. The following week, finished T-4th at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship and made a hole-in-one in the final round. Later that year, he won the PNC Father/Son Challenge with his son, Jason.
2020-2021 Notes: Played in 39 PGA Tour Champions events in the combined 2020-'21 season with 24 top-10 finishes. He was 1st in the Schwab Cup rankings. Began the 2020 season with a T-6th at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, T-5th at the Morocco Champions, and T-3rd at the Chubb Classic. He claimed his 41st victory on PGA Tour Champions at the Cologuard Classic, moving him just four wins short of all-time leader Hale Irwin. He marked Langer's 14th straight year with at least one win and eighth win at age 60 or older. After the break for COVID-19, he finished T-7th at the Ally Challenge and T-10th at the Bridgestone Senior Players. Finished T-2nd at the Charles Schwab Series at Bass Pro Shops Big Cedar Lodge, where he was part of a four-man playoff in which Shane Bertsch carded a birdie on the first extra hole to win. It was his Tour-record 15th playoff appearance (6-9) and the ninth consecutive season he has participated in a playoff. It was also his fifth straight playoff loss; his last win in extra holes came at the 2017 Invesco QQQ Championship. He was T-3rd at the Sanford International, two strokes behind winner Miguel Angel Jimenez. He was T-8th at the PURE Insurance Championship and T-4th at the Dominion Energy Charity, five shots back of winner Phil Mickelson. He was T-2nd at the TimberTech Championship, a shot back of winner Darren Clarke. Closed with a 7-under 64 at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship and finished T-5th, his 12th top-10 in 15 PGA Tour Champions starts in the 2020 calendar finale. In November Masters was T-29th at age 63 years, 5 months, and 18 days old.
In 2021 missed the cut at the April Masters, on the PGA Tour Champions, was T-6th in the 2021 Chubb Classic, T-5th at the Insperity Invitational, and T-6th at the Regions Tradition. Was T-8th at the DICK'S Sporting Goods, three shots back of winner Cameron Beckman. Was T-5th at the U.S. Senior Open, six shots back of winner Jim Furyk and 4th at the Senior Open Championship, four back of winner Stephen Dodd. He was 2nd at the Ally Challenge, a shot back of winner Joe Durant. Langer shot 71-66-68 to finish two shots back of K.J. Choi at the 2021 PURE Insurance Championship. It was his fourth runner-up finish during the 2020-21 season. Closed with 67 at the 2021 Constellation Furyk & Friends to finish T-7th after opening with 68-73. Finished T-5th at the SAS Championship, two shots back of the Janzen/Jimenz playoff. Became the oldest winner in PGA Tour Champions history (64 years, 1 month, 27 days) with his victory at the 2021 Dominion Energy Charity Classic. It marked his 42nd win on the Champions Tour and 15th consecutive year with at least one victory on Tour. He defeated Doug Barron in a sudden-death playoff with a birdie on the first extra hole. Phil Mickelson won the tournament at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, but by his final-round 69 and 17th-place finish, Langer clinched the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points race for a record sixth time.
2022 Notes: Played in 22 PGA Tour Champions events with eleven top-10 finishes. He was 6th in the Schwab Cup rankings. At the Chubb Classic, went wire-to-wire to capture his 43rd career victory at the age of 64 years, 5 months, 24 days to extend his record as the oldest winner on PGA Tour Champions. He carded a bogey-free 8-under 64 in the opening round to shoot his age or better for the third time in his career. The following week shot a final-round 65 to finish T-2nd, four shots back of winner Miguel Angel Jimenez. Was T-8th at the Hoag Classic and T-8th at the Insperity Invitational. Missed the cut at the Masters. He was 3rd at the Senior PGA Championship, six shots back of winner Steven Alker. Finished T-3rd at the Principal Charity Classic, two shots back of the Jerry kelly/Kirk Triplett playoff. Was T-6th at the Dick's Sporting Goods and 4th at the Ascension Charity Classic. Also, T-4th at the Furyk & Friends, four shots back of winner Steve Stricker. Extended his record as the oldest winner in PGA Tour Champions history (65 years, 2 months, 10 days) with his victory at the TimberTech Championship. Marked his 44th win on PGA Tour Champions, one shy of tying the all-time record held by Hale Irwin (45). It was Langer's 10th consecutive multi-win season, and 13th multi-win season overall, on the Champions Tour. It was his 11th win since turning 60 years old. He was T-17th at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
2023 Notes: He finished T-10th at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. He claimed his record-tying 45th win on PGA Tour Champions at the 2023 Chubb Classic. It was Langer's fifth win at the Chubb Classic (2011, 2013, 2016, 2022, 2023). Shot rounds of 64-70-65, shooting his age or better in the first and final rounds. He extended his record as the oldest winner in Champions Tour history at 65 years, 5 months, and 23 days. It marked his 16th consecutive season with a win on PGA Tour Champions. It was his 212th top-10 on PGA Tour Champions. Opened with a 64 at the Hoag Classic and led through 36 holes before finishing T-7th.