Remember earlier this year when Bernhard Langer tore his Achilles tendon while playing pickleball?
It seems like a long time ago.
Langer, 67, had to assume he would have to miss the entire 2024 golf season. Achilles tendon ruptures can take up to 12 months to fully recover, especially at the same age. Still, Langer returned to the PGA Tour Champions in early May after suffering this injury on February 1st. Since then, Langer has finished in the top 10 seven times, including a runner-up finish at the Ascension Charity Classic in September. He lost in a playoff to Ye Yang, who famously defeated Tiger Woods at the 2009 PGA Championship.
Fast forward to this week's PGA Tour Champions season finale, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, and Langer will start the final round with a one-stroke lead. The two-time Masters champion improved his age for the second day in a row on Saturday. 4-under 67 to take one lead. He shot a 7-under 64 on Friday.
“I played pretty solid. My putting wasn’t as good as it was the first two days, I made a few putts early on, but after that I kind of lost my pace. I was a little short at times and didn’t shoot too many shots. I couldn’t hit it,” Langer said of the third round.
“We played very solid, hit the ball well, gave us a lot of chances, and overall I was pretty happy.”
It seems as if Langer has been playing “very consistently” for 50 years. After all, only Seve Ballesteros has won more events on the European Tour than him. But no one has won more PGA Tour Champions events than Langer. Langer hopes to win his 47th senior title on Sunday.
“[A win] That would mean a lot considering what I went through this year,” Langer said.
“And I didn't win this year. It's the first time in my Champions Tour career that I didn't win in a season. Well, I'll try a little harder tomorrow.”
If Langer continues to win, it will be the end of a roller-coaster season filled with lots of pain. He said he didn't get to walk in front of the Senior PGA Championship, but still qualified. Germans shared similar sentiments before the war. Carnoustie Senior Openbut that didn't stop him. That week at the end of July, we tied for 5th place, which was a great result.
But now he wants to win. So what does Langer believe he has to do to get a win in Phoenix on Sunday?
“I think we just have to continue to play aggressive and hit as many fairways as possible and as many greens as possible,” Langer said.
“The important thing for me is the putts. I have to make a lot of putts, preferably on the regulation 15, 16 and 17 greens.”
No matter what happens Sunday, Langer's 2024 season will be remembered for his incredible perseverance. Even if he doesn't come close to winning on Sunday, he's already won in more ways than one. He seems destined for a top-10 finish in the Schwab Cup standings, something everyone would have ruled impossible just a few months ago. But even at age 67, he ignored that possibility. Remarkable.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
