This week, Bernhard Langer will compete in the BMW International Open in Germany, which will be his 513th and final appearance on the DP World Tour.
Born in Anhausen-Didorf near Augsburg, just 60 miles from Munich's Eichenried Golf Club, Langer would become one of the most successful European golfers of all time, with more than 120 professional victories.
The 66-year-old, a two-time Masters champion, is the first player in men's golf history to be ranked number one in the world, having topped the Official World Golf Ranking when it was first launched in 1986.
One of only five players to have won professional tournaments in all six continents, Langer has three PGA Tour titles and 42 European Tour titles, second on the DP World Tour all-time wins list behind only Seve Ballesteros (50).
After switching primarily to the senior golf tours, Langer became by far the most successful player, winning a record 12 senior major championships and more than 50 titles in total, including a record 46 PGA Tour Champions victories.
“But oh my god, does he know how to play golf!” @padraig_h 🤝 @BernhardLanger6 pic.twitter.com/AadWJktraSJuly 3, 2024
While he won’t be retiring completely this week, he is coming to the end of his 50-year European and DP World Tour career after undergoing Achilles tendon surgery following a pickleball accident earlier this year.
Before launching into the topic alongside Italian Open champion Marcel Simm and another hero of German golf, Martin Kaymer, Langer admitted that the next few days could be very emotional.
He said: “It means a lot to be able to play in front of the home crowd. Hopefully I can make the cut but I hear the golf course is a lot longer than it used to be and that will be a challenge for me. My fairways are getting shorter and the courses are getting longer and that's not a good combination.
“I grew up about 45 minutes from here. I was an assistant pro at Munich Country Club, 30 minutes from here. I have a lot of friends, some relatives, some people who have been with me and supported me in golf over the years, and obviously I’ve been to this event a lot.
“I haven't said goodbye to anything about golf so far. This will be the first time in my life that I'm going to experience that and I feel like it's going to be very exciting.”
Marcel Sim holds the Italian Open trophy
(Image source: Getty Images)
Langer's partner for the first two days is also a fellow German, and after winning his sixth DP World Tour title in Italy last week, he plans to win the Ryder Cup with his compatriot at Bethpage Black next year.
Sim admitted that Langer – who has played in 10 Ryder Cup matches, winning five of them – has been a role model for him and detailed why before the tournament.
“What Bernhard has achieved is extraordinary,” he said. “It must have been very difficult to achieve what he has achieved. You should never say never. I think he is an exceptional man and a role model for all of us.”
“His demeanor is outstanding. His technique is unique. That's what I like about him. His work ethic is great, too.”