Bernhard Langer has been called golf's ironman by Rory McIlroy ahead of this year's Masters, a fitting description of the seemingly eternally young German.
But now, time has finally caught up with Langer, at least when it comes to playing majors against the absolute world elite.
The courses are getting longer, Langer is hitting shorter.
I probably should have quit a few years ago, because where I hit the ball with my driver, I can sometimes not see the flag (before the second shot). There's a big risk that I won't be able to see the flag on the first hole because I don't make it up the hill, he says ahead of this year's Masters.
There are par 4 holes where I hit a three-iron into the green, while the other guys hit eight-irons, nine-irons, seven-irons.
Two victories
Bernhard Langer was one of the great European golf pioneers. After finishing second in the British Open in 1981, he received an invitation to play in the US Masters for the first time.
The rest is history.
In 1985, Langer won the Masters for the first time – and as only the second European after Seve Ballesteros. Eight years later came Langer's second triumph at Augusta National.
Then, in 1993, many of the players in this year's Masters had not even been born. But Langer has come back year after year and as recently as 2020, he managed to finish in a tie for 29th place.
"Bittersweet"
At the same time, he has dominated on the PGA Tour's Champions Tour for players over 50 and won a total of 47 tournaments, including twelve majors, there.
In two or possibly four days, he will now be hailed as a master by the large crowd at Augusta National.
It's very emotional. You can hear that my voice is cracking just thinking about it being the last time I compete in the Masters. After four decades, it's going to be bittersweet, says Bernhard Langer.
It's been an incredible journey, for a young man who was born in a village with 800 inhabitants in a place where golf was nothing.
The Masters began on Thursday and early in the morning, Bernhard Langer teed off on the first hole.
In front of a packed gallery, he sent off a 225-meter long drive that led to an opening par on his final show at Augusta.
Carl Göransson/TT
Facts: Previous winners of the US Masters
TT
+ All winners of the US Masters get to play the tournament for the rest of their lives and decide themselves when they quit.
+ Icons Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, and Gary Player traditionally started this year's Masters with the honorary task of hitting their tee shots from the first tee.
+ Other former champions who are not playing in this year's Masters are Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, and injured Tiger Woods.
+ Bernhard Langer, at 67, is the oldest in this year's starting field. Fred Couples, 65, and José Maria Olazábal, 59, are two other aging champions who are teeing off at Augusta National.
