LANGER MASTERCLASS GIVES HOPE TO GOLF VETS EVERYWHERE
BERNHARD LANGER was 50 yards behind his playing partner Matt Wallace off the tee with as much as a five-club differential for their approach shots into the greens over the first two rounds at the 83rd Masters. The age discrepancy was no fewer than 33 years. After 36 holes, 61-year-old Langer had a total of 143 following rounds of 71,72 for a one-under-par halfway total, while Wallace needed nine shots more. The Londoner could hardly have been alone in asking himself: how on earth did that happen? It’s the sort of question that people have been asking themselves for some time now
about the indefatigable German. No matter how hard they make Augusta National, they still can’t make it too hard for him. Experience counted for a lot but as Langer said: ‘I’d rather have a lot less experience and be hitting nine irons into some of these greens than four irons.’ He might well be the most remarkable performer in the entire sport. One under around here, at his age? That’s just
ridiculous, isn’t it? Mind you, given he’s missed just three halfway cuts in 228 events on the Champions Tour — the circuit for the over-50s — perhaps it’s not surprising that he can still hold his own. Langer broke par on day one with the most astonishing regulation figure of the tournament to date at the 18th. Needing a par four, it appeared his chance had literally gone down the toilet when he hooked a wild drive into a temporary W.C. He clipped a tree with his second and still had 200 yards to go for his third. But he knocked it to 20ft and holed the putt to raucous applause. The winner way back in 1985 and 1993, it looked as if he was finally starting to act something like his age when he dropped three shots in a six-hole spell from the fifth yesterday. Would he fade away and miss the halfway cut? That’s hardly Langer is it? Never mind that this hilly course takes it out of everyone by the end. Langer shrugged off a putt lipping out for a four at the long 13th by birdieing three of the last five holes for his eye-opening halfway total. Not for the first time in his life, he had given club golfers of a certain age everywhere cause to rejoice — and marvel.