When it comes to Bernhard Langer, there are few in the game to have quite the distinguished career he has had past 50.
The German, who has won the Masters twice, holds the record for most wins on the PGA Tour Champions with 47 and its going to take some catching on that front.
Langer also won the Hero World Challenge with his son a few weeks back, seeing off Tiger and Charlie Woods in dramatic fashion to take the win.
However, at 67, Langer is certainly no spring chicken nowadays and there must be a point coming where he feels like hanging up his clubs.
But for Langer, it doesn’t appear to be anytime soon as he was asked quite specifically if he was going to continue until he’s 80.
Bernhard Langer explains what will force him to retire from golf
Given how good Bernhard Langer is at the moment and how often he wins, he probably sees no real reason to even contemplate retirement.
Indeed, according to Langer, it will come down to three main issues.
“No, I never had a number in mind,” Langer said when asked about the number 80. “I always said the three things that need to be in place, first of all, I’ve got to be healthy to swing the club the way I want to swing it. Secondly, I’ve got to enjoy the game and have a desire, and certainly I need to be in contention or playing at a level where I’m not finishing in the bottom third of the field every week.
“I’ve always said, if those three things are still there, if I have the desire, the health and the success, I probably will continue to play the Champions Tour. When one or two of these things go away, then it’s probably time to quit playing.
Continuing his answer, Langer then revealed that he is starting to see some decline in his game, albeit it not enough to stop him playing.
“Obviously if I’m not healthy, I can’t play at all. If I don’t have some success, I may not enjoy it as much, and then it’s time to pack it in, too,” he continued.
“I have seen a decline of my distance over the last five years a little bit, which makes it harder for me to compete on some of the longer courses. I have to play really well to be in contention.
“Even though last year I missed several months and I had a major surgery with the achilles injury I had, I still finished seventh in the Schwab Cup. I just had a good start this year. So I don’t see any immediate need or reason to quit. But life can throw something at you and things can stop in a heartbeat. I’ll take it one day at a time or one week at a time and certainly look forward to being over at the Chubb Classic in 10 days or so.”
How much money Bernhard Langer has made on the PGA TOUR Champions
If you are exceptional at golf, then the riches come with it. It’s just part of being a pro golfer and all the top players in the world are comfortably millionaires.
For Bernhard Langer, the money he’s made on the PGA TOUR Champions is quite something.
Langer has made a whopping $37m on the senior tour, more than the likes of Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland have made on the PGA Tour itself.
| Player | PGA Champions Tour career earnings ($) |
| Bernhard Langer | $37,383,505 |
| Hale Irwin | $27,158,515 |
| Gil Morgan | $20,631, 930 |
| Jay Haas | $19,993,558 |
| Tom Kite | $16,303,747 |
If he continues until he’s 80, then there’s every chance Langer is one of the highest earning golfers ever, not just on the post-50 tour.
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