Bernhard Langer says 2024 will mark his final Masters appearance

Two-time Masters champion Bernard Langer said that this year’s Masters tournament will be his final appearance as a competitor.

Langer, 66, made the announcement this week in Hawaii during the start of the PGA Tour Champions’ season.

“It’s exciting,” Langer said in an interview with Golf Channel, “but at the same time, I’m aware that I’m going to be hitting 3-irons and 2-hybrids when the guys are hitting 9-irons into the green, and that’s tough to compete against. But it’s a challenge, and I usually don’t shy away from challenges.”

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Langer has made 40 career starts at the Masters, joining Larry Mize last year in becoming just the 13th and 14th players in tournament history to crack the 40-start barrier. He won the green jacket in 1985 with a two-stroke victory over Seve Ballesteros, Raymond Floyd and Curtis Strange, and again in 1993 by holding off Chip Beck by four shots for his second tournament triumph.

Known for his competitive longevity, Langer remained formidable at Augusta National as he aged. He posted a top-10 finish as late as 2014, and in 2020 he beat reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau by a shot despite surrendering 35 years and some 60 yards to DeChambeau. Langer has made the cut 27 times, including 19 straight years from 1994 to 2002. His career scoring average at Augusta is among the five all-time best for players who have played 100 or more rounds.

However, Langer has missed the cut in his last three Masters appearances, and has acknowledged the game's growing distance gains make it tough on him to compete with younger players.

Last year Langer became the winningest player in PGA Tour Champions history with his victory at the U.S. Senior Open. He has over 120 global wins in his career, and has been a member of 10 European Ryder Cup teams.

The 2024 Masters begins April 11. Jon Rahm is the defending champ.