Bernhard Langer Reflects on His Final Masters Appearance
Langer Struggles with Course Length as he prepares for his 41st and final appearance at the iconic Augusta National this week. The 67-year-old German golf legend, who continues to compete on the Champions Tour and recently won the PNC Championship with his son Jason in December, has decided to step away from competitive play at the Masters. Choking back tears during a press conference, Langer became emotional after watching highlights of his two historic Masters victories. “It’s very emotional,” he admitted. “You can tell already my voice is breaking a bit just realising it’s going to be my last competitive Masters.”
He described his retirement from the Masters as bittersweet, saying the decision was not taken lightly. “After four decades, it’s going to be bittersweet. I think I knew it was time to call it quits as a player. I wanted to do it last year but I couldn’t with my Achilles surgery.” Reflecting on the increasing challenge of the course, Langer acknowledged the game has changed. “The course is just getting too long and I’m getting shorter and shorter and I’m hitting hybrids where the other kids are hitting nine irons and eight irons, maybe even wedges. So I knew I wasn’t going to be in contention anymore.”
Langer also recalled a conversation he had with the chairman of Augusta National about retirement. “A few years back I asked the chairman of the club, is there a time limit? Do we age out when we’re 60? Or what is it? He said, no, you will know when it’s time to quit. It’s totally up to you.” Now, Langer is certain the time has come. “It is time to quit. I’m just not competitive on this course anymore. We’re playing, what, 7,500-plus yards, and I’m used to playing courses around 7,100. I can still compete there but not at this distance.”
He will now join former champions like Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, and Larry Mize in retirement from the Masters. Langer shared that he had already spoken with Mize for advice on handling such an emotional farewell. “He gave a little speech at the Champions Dinner, and he just broke down. He just couldn’t say what he wanted to say. It was just overwhelming and too much for him.” Langer comforted him, saying, “No, you didn’t screw up. It was just showing how much it meant to you.” While Langer may not be a Georgia native like Mize, his love for the Masters runs deep. “I’m from Germany, and it means a great deal for me, too, living in Florida now and having married an American and raised my kids in this country and all that. It’s never easy, not for any of us.”
