Bernhard Langer’s unbelievable Champions Tour run had another highlight on Sunday. The 59-year-old won the Senior PGA Championship for his ninth career major, which broke a tie with Jack Nicklaus for the most major victories in Champions Tour history.
Gary Player, however, believes that he and Langer should share the record, rather than Langer having it outright. Player is credited for having six Champions Tour major championships, but he also had three wins at the Senior Open Championship, which was not considered a major at the time, but is now.
The Numbers
Bullets
- Bernhard Langer’s final round 68 at the Senior PGA Championship won him the major title. At -18, Langer finished one stroke ahead of Vijay Singh.
- Langer’s unbelievable Senior Tour resume has included 32 wins and nine majors. He has finished first on the Champions Tour money list in each of the past three seasons.
- 82-year-old Gary Player contends that he and Langer should be co-record holders. He won the Senior Open Championship in 1988, 1990, and 1997, but the tournament was not considered to be a major at the time, although it is now.
- Player believes that since the Senior Open Championship was retroactively given major status, that those who won before its reclassification as a major, should be considered major champions.
- Langer’s attempt at a 10th major will be at the U.S. Senior Open in late June.
Quotable
“I remember Arnold Palmer using his word, telling me it was ‘bull****’ that the Senior Open Championship wasn’t a major. He so regretted not winning the championship when he was playing senior golf, because playing on an old links where golf began was very special for him. I wonder, what would the status of the championship be if Arnold had won it three times?”
–Gary Player
Content originally appeared as part of the Daily Rundown.
