Bernhard Langer is Ready For Emotional Masters Farewell

A long and storied chapter in Masters history will come to an end this week as Bernhard Langer competes at Augusta for the final time.

The 67-year-old German has concluded that the course is now simply too long for him. He now requires fairway woods to reach most of the par fours in two. This is a golf course that requires high, towering iron shots and fairway woods just don’t cut it. He planned to say his farewells last year but injury sidelined him for much of the season.

The German has an extraordinary record at Augusta. This will be the 41st time he has played there, winning it twice and missing the cut 13 times. The record for appearances is a staggering 52, held by the equally remarkable Gary Player.

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In 2023 Langer shot 75-74 to miss the cut for just the 13th time. From 1984 through 2002, Langer made an extraordinary 19 straight Masters cuts, including his victories in 1985 and 1993. 

He was the oldest to make the cut at the Masters at age 63 in 2020 (T29), but Fred Couples, also 63 but 109 days older than Langer, broke his record in 2023.

Sandy Lyle and Larry Mize called it a day in 2023 when Langer said he played reasonably well but did not make a birdie in his first-round 75. His second-round 74 wasn’t much better, begging the question of how long he intended to keep competing.

"I asked the chairman several years ago, I said, ‘Is there an age limit?’2 Langer said. "'When do you tell people to stop playing?’ He said, ‘Listen, Bernhard, you will know yourself when it’s time to stop,’ and he’s right. I don’t want to make a fool of myself."

His first appearance came in 1982, when he missed the cut. He failed to make the field the following year and finished in a tie for 31st in 1984. But in 1985 the German won the Green Jacket for the first time, beating Seve Ballesteros, Ray Floyd and Curtis Strange by two shots. Top-10 finishes followed in 1987, 1988 and 1990.

His second Masters triumph came in 1993, when he finished four shots clear of Chip Beck. There were four more top 10s, most notably in 2004 when he was tied fourth and 2014 when he was tied eighth.

Langer was and remains a machine. 

He won three times on the PGA Tour and 42 times on the European Tour, second only to Ballesteros. Since turning 50 he has been the dominant force on the PGA Tour Champions, winning a record 47 times. For good measure, there have also been eight victories on the European Seniors Tour. And he has won 12 senior majors.

In November 2024 he won the Charles Schwab Cup at the age of 67. It was the 18th successive year in which he had won at least once on the Champions Tour.

Remember that this is a man who faced putting woes throughout his professional career.

Too many former champions did not know when it was time to quit. Langer will walk away with his head held high and his pride intact. And it would surprise nobody if he were to make the cut.

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