Fifty years after his first European Tour appearance, Bernard Langer will play his final DP World Tour event this week at the BMW International Open in Munich, Germany.
This will be his 513th appearance on the European Tour – a tour on which he has 42 career titles, second only to the late, great Seve Ballesteros.
“I haven’t said goodbye to anything about golf so far; this will be the first time I’ve experienced [for me]” Langer told DP World Tour media officials.
“I have a feeling it’s going to be very moving.”
The two-time Masters champion grew up 45 minutes from Munich’s Eckerried Golf Club, where this week’s tournament is taking place. But his connection to the area goes far beyond that. Langer’s stint as an assistant coach at the nearby Munich Golf Club helped him get his start.
Langer went on to win 123 times around the world.
He is also a Ryder Cup legend, having played for Europe 10 times and won six titles. Langer also led Europe to victory in the 2004 Ryder Cup, winning 18.5 to 9.5 on American soil – one of the most impressive wins in Ryder Cup history.
He is without a doubt Germany’s most accomplished golfer.
So, in a nod to German golf, the DP World Tour paired Langer with compatriots Marcel Simm, who won the Italian Open last week, and Martin Kaymer, who like Langer has won two majors: the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits and the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
“Playing in front of the home crowd means a lot,” Langer added.
“Hopefully I can make the cut, but I hear the golf course is a lot longer than it used to be, which will be a challenge for me.”
Jack Milko is SB Nation’s Playing Through golf columnist. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @JackMilco Same here.
