Bernhard Langer


Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986, he became the sport's first official number one ranked player following the creation of the OWGR.
Langer is one of five golfers who have won professional golf events on all six continents where golf is played. He has victories on all the premiere tours, with 42 wins on the European Tour, three on the PGA Tour, and numerous international victories; including wins on the Japan Golf Tour, Asian Tour, Australasian Tour, and the Tour de las Américas.
The highlights of Langer's career are his two major championships. His first major win came at the 1985 Masters Tournament, where Langer won by two strokes over runners-up Seve Ballesteros, Raymond Floyd and Curtis Strange. His second major came at the 1993 Masters Tournament with a four-shot victory over Chip Beck. Langer has also finished runner-up on two occasions at The Open Championship.
After turning 50, Langer has established himself as one of the most successful players on PGA Tour Champions and has won a record 11 senior major championships and achieved the career Senior Grand Slam. He has won the 2010, 2014, 2017 and 2019 Senior Open Championship, the 2010 U.S. Senior Open, the 2016 and 2017 Regions Tradition, the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Constellation Senior Players Championship, and the 2017 Senior PGA Championship.

Life and work

Langer was born in the village of Anhausen, which today is a part of Diedorf municipality, near Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. He turned professional in 1972 and has won many events in Europe and the United States, including The Masters in 1985 and 1993. He was the inaugural World Number 1 when the Official World Golf Rankings were introduced in 1986. He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001. He ranks second in career wins on the European Tour and has also played regularly on the U.S.-based PGA Tour, especially in the late 1980s and since 2000. He finished in a tie for fifth at The Open Championship the month before he turned 48, and regained a ranking in the top 100 three months before he turned 50. Along with Gary Player, David Graham, Hale Irwin and Justin Rose, Langer is one of only five players to have won official tournaments on all six continents on which golf is played. He played on 10 Ryder Cup teams and was the non-playing captain of the victorious European team in 2004.
Langer has battled the yips, having a strong tendency to flinch or twitch during putting. He has changed his putter grip numerous times in an attempt to cure the problem. In the 1991 Ryder Cup, Langer missed a five-foot putt that would have tied the Ryder Cup and allowed the European team to retain the trophy.
Langer has been married to his American wife Vikki Carol since 1984. They have four children: Jackie, Stefan, Christina, and Jason. They maintain homes in Langer's birthplace of Anhausen and in Boca Raton, Florida. Langer is known to be a devout Christian.
In 2006, in recognition of his contribution to the sport of golf, Langer was appointed as an honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. In his native Germany, Langer has received multiple honors, including the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Silver Laurel Leaf, which is the highest German sport award. In July 2016, he was inducted into Germany's Sport Hall of Fame.
In 2015, Langer became the first player since Arnold Palmer to win the Constellation Senior Players Championship in back-to-back years. It was also the last year that Langer was allowed to use the anchor putter, which the USGA banned effective 1 January 2016. At the 2016 Masters, Langer was in the second to last group in the final round only two shots back, but fell to a tie for 24th.
In 2016, Langer claimed the Regions Tradition title for his sixth senior major championship. He won by a six stroke margin over Olin Browne. This was his 100th professional win and the first time Langer had won the title. His capture of the 2017 Senior PGA Championship completed a career Grand Slam. The Regions Tradition title had also made him only the second golfer, after Jack Nicklaus, with wins in four different senior major championships. Later in 2016 he wrote history by becoming the first three-time winner of the Constellation Senior Players Championship and wins it for third straight year. The result also meant that only Nicklaus had won more senior majors than Langer. In November, he won his fourth Charles Schwab Cup and his third in a row.
In January 2017, US president Donald Trump used an incorrect story about Langer's failed attempt at voting in the United States to justify an investigation of voter fraud in the 2016 US presidential election. The story was covered in several media outlets. Since Langer is a citizen only of Germany, he was not eligible to vote.
Langer won three more senior majors in 2017 to become the most decorated player in the senior ranks of all-time. In total, he won seven titles – but he did not win the season-ending Schwab Cup. Instead, Kevin Sutherland, who was fifth in the Order of Merit heading into the final event of the season, won that to lift the trophy in what was his only win of the season. Langer subsequently called the playoff process 'unfair'.
Langer's total career earnings up to 2018 on the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions were more than US$36 million.
In September 2018, Langer received the Payne Stewart Award.
In November 2018, Langer won his fifth Charles Schwab Cup. This brought his lifetime earnings in the Charles Schwab Cup to $7,000,000.
In July 2019, Langer won his fourth Senior Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club. This marked his eleventh victory in a senior major championship.
In March 2020, Langer won the Cologuard Classic for his 41st victory on the PGA Tour Champions.

Professional wins (116)

PGA Tour wins (3)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-up
114 Apr 1985Masters Tournament−6 2 strokes Seve Ballesteros, Raymond Floyd,
Curtis Strange
221 Apr 1985Sea Pines Heritage−11 Playoff Bobby Wadkins
311 Apr 1993Masters Tournament −11 4 strokes Chip Beck

PGA Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11985Sea Pines Heritage Bobby WadkinsWon with par on first extra hole
21986Shearson Lehman Brothers Andy Williams Open Bob TwayLost to par on second extra hole
32007Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Jim Furyk, Rory SabbatiniSabbatini won with birdie on first extra hole

European Tour wins (42)

*Ballesteros and Langer agreed to share the 1986 Lancome Trophy after failing light caused play to halt after four holes of a playoff.
*Langer and Montgomerie agreed to share the 2002 Volvo Masters Andalucia after failing light caused play to halt after two holes of a playoff.
European Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11982Sun Alliance PGA Championship Tony JacklinLost to birdie on first extra hole
21982Lufthansa German Open Bill LongmuirWon with par on first extra hole
31983Italian Open Seve Ballesteros, Ken BrownWon with birdie on second extra hole
Ballesteros eliminated by par on first hole
41985Carroll's Irish Open Seve BallesterosLost to birdie on second extra hole
51986German Open Rodger DavisWon with birdie on fifth extra hole
61986Lancome Trophy Seve BallesterosPlayoff abandoned after four holes due to darkness; tournament shared
71987German Masters Sandy LyleLost to par on second extra hole
81990Peugeot Open de France Philip WaltonLost to par on second extra hole
91990Austrian Open Lanny WadkinsWon with birdie on third extra hole
101991Mercedes German Masters Rodger DavisWon with par on first extra hole
111992Heineken Dutch Open Gordon Brand JnrWon with par on second extra hole
121992BMW International Open Paul Azinger, Glen Day,
Anders Forsbrand, Mark James		Azinger won with birdie on first extra hole
131995Smurfit European Open Barry LaneWon with birdie on second extra hole
141996Peugeot Open de France Robert AllenbyLost to birdie on first extra hole
152001TNT Dutch Open Warren BennettWon with par on first extra hole
162002Volvo Masters Andalucia Colin MontgomeriePlayoff abandoned after two holes due to darkness; tournament shared

Japan Golf Tour wins (1)

Japan Golf Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11984Dunlop Phoenix Tournament Scott SimpsonLost to par on second extra hole

Asian Tour wins (1)

1Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia

PGA Tour of Australasia wins (2)

1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour

Asia Golf Circuit wins (1)

South American Tour wins (2)

Other European wins (14)

Note: the German National Open Championship is a different event from the German Open listed five times in the European Tour wins section. That event was open to all comers, German and non-German. The German National Open Championship is "open" to German golfers whether they are amateur or professional.

Other wins (10)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-up
130 Sep 1979Cacharel World Under-25 Championship−14 17 strokes Jim Nelford, Denis Watson
28 Dec 1985Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge−10 2 strokes Lanny Wadkins
324 Nov 1990World Cup
−20 3 strokes − Richard Boxall and Mark James,
− David Feherty and Ronan Rafferty
48 Dec 1991Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge −16 5 strokes Mark Calcavecchia
514 Nov 1993World Cup of Golf Individual Trophy−16 3 strokes Fred Couples
64 Dec 2005MBNA WorldPoints Father/Son Challenge
−24 1 stroke Raymond Floyd and son Robert Floyd
73 Dec 2006Del Webb Father/Son Challenge
−24 1 stroke Vijay Singh and son Qass Singh,
Bob Tway and son Kevin Tway
810 Dec 2006WGC-World Cup
−16 Playoff − Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren
914 Dec 2014PNC Father-Son Challenge
−23 2 strokes Davis Love III and son Dru Love
108 Dec 2019PNC Father-Son Challenge
−12 Playoff Retief Goosen and son Leo Goosen

Other playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult
12006WGC-World Cup
 − Colin Montgomerie and Marc WarrenWon with par on first extra hole
22019PNC Father-Son Challenge
 Retief Goosen and son Leo GoosenWon with eagle on first extra hole

PGA Tour Champions wins (41)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner-up
114 Oct 2007Administaff Small Business Classic62-65-64=191−258 strokes Mark O'Meara
27 Mar 2008Toshiba Classic65-65-69=199−14Playoff Jay Haas
330 Mar 2008Ginn Championship Hammock Beach Resort67-66-71=204−128 strokes Lonnie Nielsen, Tim Simpson
419 Oct 2008Administaff Small Business Classic 68-67-69=204−122 strokes Lonnie Nielsen
525 Jan 2009Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai64-66-68=198−181 stroke Andy Bean
626 Apr 2009Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf
61-66-62=189−27Playoff Jeff Sluman and Craig Stadler
77 Jun 2009Triton Financial Classic65-69-67=201−156 strokes Mark O'Meara
812 Jul 20093M Championship67-68-65=200−161 stroke Andy Bean
921 Feb 2010Allianz Championship67-65-67=199−17Playoff John Cook
1018 Apr 2010Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am67-66=133*−91 stroke Mark O'Meara, Mike Reid
1125 Jul 2010The Senior Open Championship67-71-69-72=279−51 stroke Corey Pavin
121 Aug 2010U.S. Senior Open69-68-68-67=272−83 strokes Fred Couples
1329 Aug 2010Boeing Classic66-63-69=198−183 strokes Nick Price
1420 Feb 2011The ACE Group Classic64-66-66=196−184 strokes Fred Funk
155 Aug 20123M Championship 67-69-62=198−182 strokes David Peoples
167 Oct 2012SAS Championship68-72-63=203−132 strokes Jay Don Blake
1717 Feb 2013ACE Group Classic 62-70-72=204−121 stroke Jay Don Blake
1821 Apr 2013Greater Gwinnett Championship73-66-67=206−103 strokes Tom Lehman, Tom Pernice, Jr.
1919 Jan 2014Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai 66-64-64=194−223 strokes Fred Couples, Jeff Sluman
204 May 2014Insperity Invitational 66-68-71=205−111 stroke Fred Couples
2129 Jun 2014Constellation Senior Players Championship65-64-66-70=265−15Playoff Jeff Sluman
2227 Jul 2014The Senior Open Championship 65-66-68-67=266−1813 strokes Colin Montgomerie
2317 Aug 2014Dick's Sporting Goods Open67-67-66=200−161 stroke Woody Austin, Mark O'Meara
2414 Jun 2015Constellation Senior Players Championship 65-65-67-68=265−196 strokes Kirk Triplett
2518 Oct 2015San Antonio Championship71-68-65=204−123 strokes Scott Dunlap
2614 Feb 2016Chubb Classic 62-66-73=201−153 strokes Fred Couples
2722 May 2016Regions Tradition66-69-69-67=271−176 strokes Olin Browne
2812 Jun 2016Constellation Senior Players Championship 71-68-69-73=281+11 stroke Joe Durant, Miguel Ángel Jiménez
2928 Aug 2016Boeing Classic 69-67-67=203−13Playoff Woody Austin, Kevin Sutherland
3021 Jan 2017Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai 64-65=129*−151 stroke Fred Couples
3121 May 2017Regions Tradition 69-69-66-64=268−205 strokes Scott Parel, Scott McCarron
3228 May 2017KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship65-67-70-68=270−181 stroke Vijay Singh
3330 Jul 2017The Senior Open Championship 69-74-65-72=280−43 strokes Corey Pavin
3424 Sept 2017PURE Insurance Championship64-67-67=198−173 strokes Jerry Kelly
3522 Oct 2017Dominion Charity Classic67-63-70=200−161 stroke Scott Verplank
3629 Oct 2017PowerShares QQQ Championship69-69-67=205−11Playoff Miguel Ángel Jiménez
376 May 2018Insperity Invitational 63-72-70=205−111 stroke Bart Bryant, Paul Goydos,
Jeff Maggert
3814 Oct 2018SAS Championship 62-67-65=194−226 strokes Scott Parel
3910 Feb 2019Oasis Championship 64-68-65=197−195 strokes Marco Dawson
4028 Jul 2019The Senior Open Championship 71-67-70-66=274−62 strokes Paul Broadhurst
411 Mar 2020Cologuard Classic68-68-65=201−182 strokes Woody Austin

*Tournament shortened to 36 holes due to weather.
PGA Tour Champions playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
12008Toshiba Classic Jay HaasWon with birdie on seventh extra hole
22009Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf
 Jeff Sluman and Craig StadlerWon with par on second extra hole
32010Allianz Championship John CookWon with eagle on first extra hole
42012AT&T Championship David FrostLost to birdie on second extra hole
52013The Senior Open Championship Mark WiebeLost to par on fifth extra hole
62013AT&T Championship Kenny PerryLost to birdie on first extra hole
72014Constellation Senior Players Championship Jeff SlumanWon with birdie on second extra hole
82015Charles Schwab Cup Championship Billy AndradeLost to birdie on first extra hole
92016Boeing Classic Woody Austin, Kevin SutherlandWon with birdie on first extra hole
102017PowerShares QQQ Championship Miguel Ángel JiménezWon with birdie on second extra hole
112018Mitsubishi Electric Classic Steve Flesch, Scott ParelFlesch won with birdie on second extra hole
Langer eliminated with birdie on first hole
122018Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf
 Paul Broadhurst and Kirk TriplettLost to birdie on first extra hole
132019Chubb Classic Olin Browne, Miguel Ángel JiménezJiménez won with par on first extra hole
142019Invesco QQQ Championship Colin MontgomerieLost to par on first extra hole

European Senior Tour wins (7)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-up
17 Sep 2008Casa Serena Open−12 3 strokes Ian Woosnam
225 Jul 2010The Senior Open Championship−5 1 stroke Corey Pavin
31 Aug 2010U.S. Senior Open−8 3 strokes Fred Couples
427 Jul 2014The Senior Open Championship −18 13 strokes Colin Montgomerie
528 May 2017KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship−18 1 stroke Vijay Singh
630 Jul 2017The Senior Open Championship −4 3 strokes Corey Pavin
728 Jul 2019The Senior Open Championship −6 2 strokes Paul Broadhurst

European Senior Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
12013The Senior Open Championship Mark WiebeLost to par on fifth extra hole
22014WINSTONgolf Senior Open Philip Golding, Paul WesselinghWesselingh won with birdie on third extra hole
Golding eliminated by par on second hole

Other senior wins (1)

Major championships

Wins (2)

Results timeline

WD = Withdrew
DQ = Disqualified
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Summary

CUT = missed the halfway cut

"T" indicates a tie for a place

Results in World Golf Championships

1Cancelled due to 9/11
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
NT = No tournament

Senior major championships

Wins (11)

1Defeated Jeff Sluman in a sudden death playoff with birdie on second extra hole

Senior results timeline

Results are not in chronological order before 2017.
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Team appearances