Bernhard Langer wins the Senior PGA, sets all-time senior Major victory mark

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It was a showdown worthy of two men who already have spots in the World Golf Hall of Fame credentials. For much of Sunday afternoon, Bernhard Langer and Vijay Singh matched each other shot for shot at Trump National Golf Club, Washington D.C, separating themselves from the rest of field at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. Over the final few overcast holes, there was just one question to answer: Who had enough left to win?

As has usually been the case since joining the PGA Tour Champions in 2007, the 59-year-old Langer proved too tough to take down. A 15-foot birdie on the par-4 16th hole gave him a one-stroke advantage after Langer and Singh had equaled each other’s scores on the previous nine holes. Then on the par-3 17th, Singh made a three-putt bogey from 35 feet (missing the par putt from six feet) that made his birdie on the 18th hole academic.

With a par-par finish, Langer closed out a four-under 68 to win by one stroke with his 18-under 270 total.

In the end, Langer didn’t just beat Singh on Sunday. He also beat Jack Nicklaus, as Langer claimed his ninth career senior major, surpassing the record of eight titles Nicklaus held alone until seven days ago, when Langer won the Regions Tradition title.

“We play to win tournaments, especially majors,” Langer said. “And now have surpassed Jack Nicklaus in majors on this tour is pretty unique. To win back-to-back Majors is really hard to do. I was really tired. I was aching. … I’m blessed.”

The victory was Langer’s 32 on the senior circuit but his first at the oldest major in senior golf. In turn, the German became the first golfer to win all five tournaments designated as majors on the PGA Tour Champions.

“He played awesome,” Langer said of his opponent. “I played pretty much as good as I can. If he made a few putts he would have had me. … He has some weapons I don’t have.”

Indeed, playing in just his 15th PGA Tour Champions start, Singh, 54, resembled the golfer who had won a record 22 PGA Tour titles in his 40s. Singh’s distance off the tee allowed him to attack Trump National’s par 5s, where he’d made birdies 12 out of 16 times.

But Singh’s power game was offset by a balky putter as he would miss makeable eagle and birdie attempts on several holes Sunday, including the five-footer for par on the 17th.

Conversely, Langer’s putting game shinned as he made crucial birdie putts on the ninth, 13th and 16th holes to keep the pressure on Singh in their mano-a-mano duel.

Like Langer, Singh had much to play for on Sunday. It had been eight years and 215 events since Singh had won an individual title (he shared the crown with Carlos Franco at last month’s Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf event), the last coming at the 2008 Deutsche Bank Championship.