Langer claims third Senior Open win
My front nine was amazing [she bagged six birdies in racing to the turn in 31], though my back nine was a little upand-down. I made a lot of putts and also a good chip shot at the 17th.”
Webb, who was bidding to complete an Ayrshire double after winning the 2002 Women’s British Open at Turnberry, was unhappy about seeing her tee shot being punished at the 17th and also about the fact she didn’t know where she actually stood playing the 18th due to the fact there was no scoreboard on the hole.
“I absolutely nutted my 3-wood off the tee at the 17th and thought it was perfect but, as I was about to tell my caddie [Johnny Scott] that, he said it had kicked into the bunker and I had no idea how it did that,” she said after signing for a 73. “I’m gutted. I was on a high after making the eagle at the 14th and then I had a very nice up-and-down on the next. Obviously there were nerves there, but there was a good calmness.
“At the last, I had an inbetween number unfortunately for my second shot. I would have liked to have just hit a hard 8-iron, but I couldn’t count on it carrying that front. But there was no leaderboard on the last, so I didn’t know I had to make that bunker shot. I just assumed when I made my putt that it wasn’t a huge cheer, so I assumed it wasn’t to tie. It’s pretty bad to not have a leaderboard on the last. That’s the first time I’ve been playing that there hasn’t been a leaderboard on 18.
“With my bunker shot, I said to Johnny, ‘I don’t know if I need to hole this or get it upand-down’. Imagine if you went for it and overplayed it and you only had to get it up-and-down. I was trying to make it but also not being overly aggressive.”
Carly Booth closed with a 73 to finish as top Scot in joint 31st on five over, five shots ahead of Catriona Matthew (74) and 12 ahead of Sally Watson (79). Bernhard Langer became the most successful golfer in Senior major history as he secured his third Senior Open Championship.
The German, victorious at this event in 2010 and 2014, was previously tied with South Africa’s Gary Player on nine Senior major victories, and he moved into double figures with a three-stroke victory over 2010 US Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin.
With his second victory on the links of Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, Langer joins Player and Tom Watson as the only three-time winners of the Senior Claret Jug.
Although his margin of victory wasn’t as spectacu- lar as the 13 strokes he won by in 2014, Langer’s success is certainly as impressive as he started the week with laryngitis and battled treacherous weather conditions on the Welsh links.
“It’s a fantastic feeling to have won here again,” he said. “There might have been a little extra pressure, just knowing that I won here by 13 a few yearsago.ihitmyfirstteeshot straight into a gorse bush on the left and it was unplayable so, looking back now, it ended a lot better than it started.
“It didn’t look very promising early on. But, despite my first tee shot and my sickness, I actually had a very good first round and had the lead of the Championship and I think that was the key. I led from the very beginning. I led on Thursday, I was co-leader Friday and then jumped into the lead with a 65 yesterday and never surrendered.
“We know what great players Tom Watson and Gary Player are, especially as Tom has maybe the best links course record of anybody. He’s one of the best wind players that I’ve seen, maybe the best; and we all know what Gary has achieved in his career. I’m very honoured to be mentioned with those two.”
As winner of the Senior Open, Langer is exempt for the 147th Open Championship at Carnoustie, site of his first Senior Open victory in 2010. He will then defend the Senior Claret Jug at St Andrews the following week, the first time the Senior Open will be played over the hallowed links.
“I’m looking forward to Carnoustie and St Andrews,” said Langer. “That will be a couple of very special weeks