Bernhard Langer bids adieu to 50-year European tour career

Bernhard Langer's half-century pro career in Europe has come to an end.

Langer missed the cut Friday at the BMW International Open, shooting a one-over 73 following an opening-round 71 in Munich in his native Germany.

Now 66, Langer played in his first event in what is now called the DP World Tour in 1974. He won 42 times on the tour, second only to the late Seve Ballesteros of Spain.

Langer rose to World No. 1 in 1986.

"I was able to live that dream for 50 years," he said. "I have wonderful memories from all over the world, not just in Europe but Asia, Australia, Japan, America, South Africa. I was able to travel the world and meet with kings and queens.

"I played golf with all sorts of people, whether they were successful businessmen or just the average butcher or bimmer ista bricklayer or whatever, it was fun, it was great."

It isn't an end to Langer's career, however. He continues to play on the PGA Tour Champions circuit and has won 12 majors, most recently the 2023 U.S. Senior Open. He attempted a U.S. Senior Open title defense last month and made the cut before tying for 42nd.

Langer has 123 overall career titles, including at the 1985 and 1993 Masters. He intended to make the final start of his Masters career last April, but he tore an Achilles tendon two months prior and underwent surgery.

Langer also amassed a 21-15-6 Ryder Cup record and captained Europe to the 2004 championship at Oakland Hills in Michigan.

A former Cup teammate, Thomas Bjorn, said Langer will be missed on the DP World Tour.

"You will never meet a truer gentleman in the game than Bernhard Langer," Bjorn said, per the tour's website.

"He is an honor to be around and a pleasure to be around. ... I played a lot of tournament golf with him, but I also played a lot of practice golf with him, and he always made me feel welcome into his world."

--Field Level Media