Why not Langer?

What’s so strange about Bernhard Langer taking a spot on the European Ryder Cup Team? The fact that he’s won four times on the Seniors Tour so far this year? The fact that he wins Senior British at Carnoustie, travels through eight time zones right after and wins the US Senior Open? Or simply the fact that he’s 53 years old?

Langer has not played Ryder Cup since 2002 and he’s latest victory came the same year when he shared the Volvo Masters title with Colin Montgomerie. So what? He won the World Golf Championships with Marcel Siem in 2006, and he’s in a better shape now than he was at that time. Dealing blows on the Champion’s Tour these days is quite a feat. “Those guys are good!” Langer leads the money list before Fred Couples – you know that ol’ fellow that cane in six in the Masters this year, after being in contention on Sunday. How about Tom Watson, who was in sudden death in the 2009 Open Championship? Even Corey Pavin has been close to winning this year on the “Real Tour”.

Some people say the courses are that much longer now for a player like Langer. Come again? Langer had an average driving distance of 287.6 at the US Senior Open. Justin Rose – a two-time winner so far on the PGA Tour this year – has an average driving distance of 287.0. This week’s Wyndham Championship, hosted on an old Donald Ross course Sedgefield Country Club, goes 7,130 yards. Sahalee Country Club measured 6,900 yards for the US Seniors Open, and Torrey Pines North course was 6.874 in this year’s Farmers Insurance Open on The PGA Tour. Neither of these courses are close to the Twenty Ten Course with its 7.500 yards from the par 71 back tee.

The logic of the golf world is not entirely logic these days where everybody talks about Tiger every week as if he still is the best player in the world.

Langer will do great if he is to be picked, and he could even be a decisive factor of experience on a team that’s strong but young and inexperienced.

Espen Uldal Player info Alder 46 år Denmark, Humlebæk Status Offline