European golf legend Bernhard Langer has revealed that his family once could not afford a golf club membership for him before he won his first Masters title in 1987.
Langer, who recently admitted he has been struggling with his walking, will be playing his last Masters next week at 67. He has had plenty of success at Augusta National, joining the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Scottie Scheffler, and Phil Mickelson in winning the opening major more than once.
As he prepares for his final appearance at the iconic Georgia course, the German star has opened up about the challenges he faced becoming a professional golfer in Germany, coming from humble beginnings.
“At the Langer house, when I got that little letter, you know, in early spring, that I get to be invited to play in the Masters in 1982. People really had no clue about the game. It just wasn’t popular, it wasn’t televised, it was just a minority sport,” he shared with Tour Edge Golf.
“Boris Becker won Wimbledon the same year I won the Masters, and so that got quite a bit of coverage in the German media. And in Germany, golf always had that label of being a rich man’s game. Only the very elite could afford golf, and here you have a son of a bricklayer who couldn’t afford to be a member at any of the clubs winning the Masters tournament.
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“So this was a totally different Twist of golf; it’s not just for the rich and the famous; it’s also, you know, for anybody and everybody. So it certainly helped change the image of golf.” Langer became one of his nation’s greatest athletes, and a household name in men’s professional golf.
Besides his two major victories, Langer has broken numerous records. He is the second-most victorious player on his home turf on the DP World Tour, triumphantly winning an impressive 42 times during his career.
After transitioning to senior golf, Langer emerged as the PGA Champions Tour’s top golfer, with more championships than anyone else in the tour’s history, currently boasting 47 wins. His most recent triumph was just four months prior when he snagged the title at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Arizona.
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
