The Super Senior is back.
Bernard Langer came back in a big way Sunday in the rain and cold at Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s.
The 61-year-old marvel showed that he’s not through winning. A closing 66 in tough conditions delivered a two-shot victory to Langer, who won the Senior Open Championship for a record fourth time. He now has 11 senior majors and 40 total wins on the over-50 tour.
“I was trying to have a good attitude,” Langer said of the difficult conditions that ruled the entire day. “I knew it was going to be tough,” said Langer, who started the day three back of overnight leader Paul Broadhurst. “It was playing long,” Langer pointed out. He also credited his putting, which was off kilter the first two rounds. “I made my share. I was very fortunate on the greens today and I didn’t make any mental errors.”
Two late bogeys at the 15th and 17th holes but Langer’s lead from four to two with Broadhurst the only player with a chance to catch him. Broadhurst needed to go birdie-birdie at the 17th and 18th holes but he didn’t come close.
The championship also marked the final appearance in the event by Tom Watson, five-times a winner of the Open Championship and twice a winner of the Senior Open Championship.
“My toolbox is closed,” Watson said . “I don’t have the skills to do it anymore.”
Watson closed with 73 a finished nine-over for the tournament, tied for 64th.
Morikawa’s Pure Magic With Win At Barracuda:
Collin Morikawa didn’t let Matt Wolff’s win at the 3M get him down. It’s been just the opposite for the rookie from Cal.
Morikawa posted two straight top four finishes coming into the Barracuda Championship last week at Montreux Golf Club in Reno. Now he’s a PGA Tour winner.
Birdies on four of his last five holes Sunday got Morikawa to 47 points then he nervously watched while Troy Merritt had an eagle chip at the final hole that would have taken the win out of Morikawa’s hands. He’d seen that scenario before with Wolff in Minnesota.
Merritt missed and now Morikawa is a full-fledged member of the PGA Tour, ranking 46th on the FedEx Cup points list which means he’s in the first two playoff events.
Morikawa’s closing round was 65 and he scored 14 points under the tournament’s Modified Stableford format. Fifteen of his last 17 rounds have been in the 60s.
“I think I’m ready. This proves that I am ready,” Morikawa said after the win. “To get this first win off my back means a lot. It’s going to open just a lot more confidence and doors for me.”
