Masters champion extends incredible 18-year streak

Masters champion Bernhard Langer extended one of professional golf’s most remarkable streaks on Sunday.

Despite tearing his left Achilles just over eight months ago, the 67-year-old claimed win number 47 on the Champions Tour.

But there was even more to the $528,000 triumph. Langer has now won an event in 18 consecutive years on the senior circuit.

He closed with a 5-under-par 66 at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, shooting his age or better for the third straight day and 23rd time on the tour.

“It’s unbelievable, I can’t describe it,” Langer said of the win at Phoenix Country Club. “To win this big tournament after what I’ve been through and to make it 18 years in a row out here.

“This was the least likely one to win because I’ve just never done very well here for some reason.

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“But I had one of the best putting weeks of my life. Greenkeeping staff, I owe you one, well done, great job.”

At 67, Langer has beat his own record as the tour’s oldest winner. The German prevailed by one shot over defending champion Steve Alker, although was made to work for it.

Alker trailed Langer by five after the front nine, but the pair were level coming down the 18th.

That’s when Langer saved one final 30-foot putt on the par-5 to snatch the trophy back and win the season-ending event for the first time.

“Played good and then got a little unraveled there on the back nine and Steven Alker got going,” Langer said.

“I didn’t see any of Richard Green’s. Obviously, he must have played fantastic on the back nine, too.”

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Green finished in a tie for second with Alker, who won the season points title and a $1 million bonus.

“It would have been nice to win it all today, the whole lot, but hey, I’ve got the Schwab Cup and that’s important to me,” the New Zealander said.

Meanwhile, Langer confirmed on Friday that the 2025 Masters will be his last at Augusta National.

“It will be,” he said, “no doubt about it.

“That course is just so long/ The last five or ten years when I played there, it’s just playing very long.

“It’s not much fun hitting 3-woods into par-4s, and 2-hybrids and all that kind of stuff. The holes are made for 7-, 8-, 9-irons, and I’m coming in with some metal and other things.”

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.