From hole-in-ones to healed in three — months, that is. Bernhard Langer, a two-time Masters champion, will tee up at the PGA Tour Champions next week after tearing his Achilles tendon in February.
In a statement at the time through the PGA Tour, the 66-year-old said he tore his Achilles tendon "during training exercises."
Langer later admitted during a March interview on the "Musings on Golf" podcast that his injury came from playing pickleball.
He had announced in January that the 2024 Masters Tournament would be his last. Though Langer did appear at Augusta earlier this month and took part in the proceedings, he did not play.
On Friday, the PGA Tour Champions announced Langer's return in the upcoming Insperity Invitational in Houston, Texas, next week, along with a video documenting his recovery process from various walking boots to physical therapy — and citing Aaron Rodgers as inspiration.
"I heard from other athletes who had similar injuries, like Aaron Rodgers," Langer said in the video. "That encouraged me that I might be able to do something similar."
Rodgers, the 40-year-old quarterback for the New York Jets, tore his Achilles tendon in the Jets' season opener last September.
At 64, Langer holds the current record for the PGA Tour Champions, a senior tour for golfers over the age of 50, with an impressive 46 wins under his belt. Notably, he is the only player to have clinched the tour over the age of 64, achieving this feat four times. In addition to his senior tour success, Langer also secured victories at the Masters in 1985 and 1993.
In a recent video, Langer expressed his confidence in his abilities, stating, "If I get back to being my best again, even at my age, I still think I'm competitive. And I still think I can win on certain golf courses."
