A pickleball injury sidelined him last year, but he is returning to a course he loves.
Bernhard Langer, barring a miracle, won’t win the Masters Tournament this year, which gets underway on Thursday.
Langer, 67, who was born in Germany and now lives in the United States, hasn’t made the cut at Augusta National Golf Club since 2020.
But he’ll receive his share of attention as he plays for the last time on the course that has meant so much to him. Langer, who made his first appearance in 1982, won the tournament in 1985 and 1993. He planned to say farewell last year but couldn’t participate after tearing his Achilles’ tendon playing pickleball.
Langer, who has won a record 47 tournaments on PGA Tour Champions, spoke recently about his affection for the Masters. The following conversation has been edited and condensed.
Are you playing any pickleball these days?
No. I haven’t played since my injury, and I was told not to but maybe when I’m retired I’ll try it again. I don’t know yet. I’ll see how my leg feels.
What would be a successful week for your last time at Augusta?
From a professional standpoint, if I could make the cut, that would be unbelievable, but it’s very unlikely. I’ve gotten shorter [with his drives off the tee], and the injury didn’t help. This golf course, it’s meant to be hit with short to medium irons into the greens, and I’m coming in with 3-irons and 3-woods [clubs that hit the ball much farther]. It’s extremely difficult to hit these small targets, and I can’t do that with long clubs.
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Source: Golf - nytimes.com
