Gary Player disputes Langer’s senior major history

Bernhard Langer overcame the challenge of Vijay Singh to create senior major championship history – but not according to Gary Player.

A week on from lifting the Regions Tradition title to join Jack Nicklaus on a record eight senior major titles, the 59-year-old edged out the big Fijian by one stroke at Trump National Golf Club to break out on his own by one.

He also becomes the first player to complete the ‘super slam’ of winning all five senior majors.

However, 82-year-old South African Player believes that he also has nine senior major titles, and says the ‘entire golf world’ recognises his three wins at the Senior Open Championship in 1988, 1990 and 1997 as majors – despite it not becoming a senior major until 2003.

“What I would say,” Player told GolfDigest,
“is that every tournament has to start somewhere, and then it evolves.
The Masters in 1934 was not what it would become, but every player who
has won it is recognized as a major winner.

“I remember Arnold Palmer
using his word, telling me it was ‘bulls—‘ 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?”

He then tweeted:

Speaking after his win at Trump National to create history, Langer said: “It’s been an awesome ride. The last two weeks were pretty special.

“To win back-to-back Majors is very unlikely and very unusual. I’ve done it twice now on the PGA Tour Champions.”