Langer, the best senior of all time

LONDON: Bernhard Langer claimed his third senior British Open title at Royal Porthcawl in Wales on Sunday to become the most successful player in senior major-championship history.

The German, who won two Masters titles on the main tour, held off American Corey Pavin to claim a record 10th senior major title by three shots on four under for the tournament.

Langer, 59, carded a one-over final round of 72, as 2010 US Ryder Cup captain Pavin settled for a 71.

It was a third major victory of the season for Langer, who also won the senior Open at Porthcawl three years ago.

After holding at least a share of the lead at the end of each day, Langer is the third three-time winner of the senior Claret Jug, after all-time legends Tom Watson and Gary Player, despite having to battle a bout of laryngitis at the start of the week.

“It’s a fantastic feeling to have won here again,” he told europeantour.com.

“There might have been a little extra pressure, just knowing that I won here by 13 a few years ago. I hit my first tee shot straight into a gorse bush on the left and it was unplayable so, looking back now, it ended a lot better than it started.”

Langer’s win also gives him a place in next year’s British Open at Carnoustie, by when he will have turned 60.

z MEANWHILE, England’s Jordan Smith claimed the first title of his fledgling European Tour career on Sunday, beating defending champion Alexander Levy of France in a playoff at the European Open in Hamburg.

“It’s all a bit surreal,” Smith, who hails from Bath, told europeantour.com.

“I had a really good start to the year and the first aim was just to secure my Tour card, which I managed to do. And then the second goal was to win an event, which I’ve managed to do.”

Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh and Johan Edfors of Sweden, two players ranked outside the top 350 in the world, finished tied for third place on 11under. Agencies