He left in the morning shift, promptly, with a jersey and a huge crowd attached to the 10th tee, his first hole, and then to each and every one of the holes on the Munich course that hosts the BMW Open, the tournament that serves as a farewell to the European Tour to the German golf and sports legend Bernhard Langer, 66 years old.
He hopes it will be Sunday, his goodbye, and not this Friday with the cut.
Langer, results
You have to see, four months after injuring (and having surgery on) his Achilles heel, how the German performed. He signed two birdies, one bogey and all pars, for a round under par of 71 strokes, top 60 five strokes behind the leader at home-club, the Australian David Michelozzi (66).
Of the 78 golfers who came out to play in the morning session, only 27 had a better result than Langer. "The atmosphere has been spectacular, it really has been an incredible day, very exciting," said Langer in the mixed zone.
"At 7.40 in the morning there was not a soul on the tee, there were a lot of people, and I think that for the public it has also been a very special and exciting day, of enjoyment; it has been a pleasure to play with Marcel (Siem) and Martin (Kaymer)" (his party colleagues).
I've known them for a long time, we've been around the world together several times, Siem won last week..., and I'm proud that many young German players are now competing on the circuit. It has taken time but it has been achieved and that fills me with pride and satisfaction," added the successful captain of the Ryder Cup in 2004.
In a tweet, the Danish Thomas Bjorn, victorious captain of the Ryder (2018) as Langer was in his day, wrote: "all my appreciation to a man who has moved mountains for golfers around the world." Langer will be 67 years old in 23 days.
Last week he played the US Senior Open on a course, the Newport Country Club, just over 6,300 meters. He finished on Monday, he crossed the pond and this Thursday he signed one under par at the Golfclub Mnchen Eichenried, a course of more than 6,700 meters "I have hit more 3-woods and 2-hybrids in this round than in the last two weeks combined.
Definitely, this course does not suit my game," commented the German legend, smiling. As for the Spanish, Pablo Larrazbal and the veteran Miguel ngel Jimnez each delivered cards of 70 (-2). The Catalan is rushing his last remote options to get into the British Open: winning this tournament for the third time this week or next time in the Scottish Open.
Alfredo Garca Heredia (-1) and Adri Arnaus (-1) have also started under par, Santi Tarrio at even par and Adrin Otaegui with 73 (+1). As for the head, a great start for the American Patrick Reed (67, -5), who is looking for his first victory on any circuit since 2021.
