Chasing 46: Keeping tabs on Bernhard Langer’s pursuit of history

After matching Hale Irwin’s record of 45 career PGA TOUR Champions titles, Bernhard Langer turned his attention to securing the record alone.

It took him just 10 starts to make it happen.

Langer earned his record 46th Champions Tour title at the 2023 U.S. Senior Open, carding a four-round total of 7 under for a two-stroke victory over local favorite Steve Stricker at SentryWorld in Wisconsin. It’s Langer’s second title of the season and his record 12th senior major title. He also breaks his own record (four times over) as oldest winner of a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event, a mark he initially set with his 42nd Champions Tour win at the 2021 Dominion Energy Charity Classic.

Like a fine wine, the 65-year-old German appears to simply get better with age.

Irwin collected his victories between July 1995 and January 2007, while Langer’s first victory came nine months after Irwin’s last, in October 2007.

Sixteen years later, Langer is still going.

He became a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame more than 20 years ago, after a career that included two Masters titles, more than 40 DP World Tour titles and the distinction of being the first man to sit atop the Official World Golf Ranking. Five decades into his pro career, he’s just kept winning and winning and winning. He’s had as many as seven wins in a season (2017), 11 consecutive multi-win campaigns and has hoisted the trophy in nearly one out of every seven starts on PGA TOUR Champions.

In that first PGA TOUR Champions win back in 2007, Langer topped Mark O’Meara by a whopping eight shots to claim the Insperity Invitational. A sign of things to come. After that initial win, Langer won three times in 2008, four in 2009 and five in 2010, including his first two of 11 senior majors. He’s never stopped winning. Every year, more wins. He’s won at least once each year on the PGA TOUR Champions since he started almost 16 years ago. In 2021, the streak seemed in jeopardy until he beat Doug Barron in a playoff to win the Dominion Energy Charity Classic in October. Then he won twice in 2022 before notching his first win of 2023 at the Chubb Classic in February, beating other PGA TOUR Champions stalwarts Padraig Harrington and Steve Stricker by three shots.

In the nine starts between the Chubb Classic and U.S. Senior Open, Langer finished no worse than T26. His form remained solid, and the anticipation grew. Then across four summer days in Wisconsin, he made history.

Read below for details on each of Langer’s starts between claiming record-tying win No. 45 and record-setting win No. 46.

Tournament name: U.S. Senior Open

Date: June 29-July 2, 2023

Start since 45th win: 10th

Finish: Won (71-68-68-70)

Position entering final round: 1st

Strokes back entering final round: Led by 2

Langer captured his record-setting 46th win on PGA TOUR Champions at the 2023 U.S. Senior Open at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It also marked Langer’s record-extending 12th major victory on PGA TOUR Champions.

After opening with even-par 71, Langer carded a second-round 68 to take a one-stroke lead at the halfway point. He matched his 68 on Saturday to build a two-stroke lead heading into the final round. On Sunday, Langer birdied three of his first five holes to seize control and held off Wisconsin’s Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly down the stretch to emerge with a two-stroke triumph.

“It feels awesome,” Langer said afterwards. “It's been a long time coming, but I’m very, very happy. I never thought it would happen at a U.S. Senior Open, but I'm very thrilled that the record of 46 wins happened this week. It's certainly one of the greatest tournaments we ever compete in, and to beat this field, where everybody was here, especially (Steve) Stricker and (Jerry) Kelly on their home grounds, is a very special feeling. I’m very grateful.”

Running totals since No. 45

Starts: 10

Top-10s: 3

Best finish: Won (U.S. Senior Open)

Times entered final round within 5 shots of lead: 3

Leads entering the final round: 2

Final-round scoring average: 70.0

Tournament name: DICK’S Sporting Goods Open

Date: June 23-25, 2023

Start since 45th win: 9th

Finish: T18 (70-68-70)

Strokes behind winner: 10

Position entering final round: T15

Strokes back entering final round: 6

The 2014 winner of the DICK’S Sporting Goods Open, Langer finished T18 in 2023. During the final round, Langer birdied five of his first 10 holes to get into contention but played the final eight holes in 3-over.

Running totals since No. 45

Starts: 9

Top-10s: 2

Best finish: T7 (Hoag Classic)

Times entered final round within 5 shots of lead: 2

Leads entering the final round: 1

Final-round scoring average: 70.0

Tournament name: Principal Charity Classic

Date: June 2-4, 2023

Start since 45th win: 8th

Finish: T26 (68-69-71)

Strokes behind winner: 9

Position entering final round: T16

Strokes back entering final round: 5

Seeking his first win at the Principal Charity Classic, Langer finished T26 to open the month of June. Langer was five strokes back entering the final round before carding 71 on Sunday.

Running totals since No. 45

Starts: 8

Top-10s: 2

Best finish: T7

Times entered final round within 5 shots of lead: 2

Leads entering the final round: 1

Final-round scoring average: 70.0

Tournament name: KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship

Date: May 25-28, 2023

Start since 45th win: 7th

Finish: T20 (71-72-73-69)

Strokes behind winner: 15

Position entering final round: T31

Strokes back entering final round: 16

The 2017 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship winner, Langer finished T20 in his first start at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco. His low round of the week was his final round 3-under 69.

Running totals since No. 45

Starts: 7

Top-10s: 2

Best finish: T7

Times entered final round within 5 shots of lead: 1

Leads entering the final round: 1

Final-round scoring average: 69.8

Tournament name: Regions Tradition

Date: May 11-14, 2023

Start since 45th win: 6th

Finish: T18 (69-72-70-68)

Strokes behind winner: 14

Position entering final round: T25

Strokes back entering final round: 11

A two-time Regions Tradition champion, Langer finished T18 in 2023. He sat T8 after opening with 69, but an even-par 72 in the second round took him out of contention. Three of his four rounds were bogey-free.

Running totals since No. 45

Starts: 6

Top-10s: 2

Best finish: T7

Times entered final round within 5 shots of lead: 1

Leads entering the final round: 1

Final-round scoring average: 70.0

Tournament name: Mitsubishi Electric Classic

Date: May 5-7, 2023

Start since 45th win: 5th

Finish: T8 (67-69-71)

Strokes behind winner: 10

Position entering final round: T7

Strokes back entering final round: 7

The 2013 champion of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, Langer opened with bogey-free 67 and added rounds of 69-71 on the weekend to finish T8. It was Langer’s 214th top-10 on PGA TOUR Champions, extending his all-time record.

Running totals since No. 45

Starts: 5

Top-10s: 2

Best finish: T7

Times entered final round within 5 shots of lead: 1

Leads entering the final round: 1

Final-round scoring average: 70.40

Tournament name: Insperity Invitational

Date: April 28-30, 2023

Start since 45th win: 4th

Finish: T23 (71-76-69)

Strokes behind winner: 15

Position entering final round: T37

Strokes back entering final round: 12

A four-time winner of the Insperity Invitational, Langer closed with bogey-free 69 to finish T23. After opening with 1-under 71, a second-round 76 put him out of contention.

Running totals since No. 45

Starts: 4

Top-10s: 1

Best finish: T7

Times entered final round within 5 shots of lead: 1

Leads entering the final round: 1

Final-round scoring average: 70.25

Tournament name: The Galleri Classic

Date: March 24-26, 2023

Start since 45th win: 3rd

Finish: T19 (69-72-69)

Strokes behind winner: 10

Position entering final round: T32

Strokes back entering final round: 6

Langer carded bookend 69s en route to a top-20 finish at the inaugural Galleri Classic at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.

Running totals since No. 45

Starts: 3

Top-10s: 1

Best finish: T7

Times entered final round within 5 shots of lead: 1

Leads entering the final round: 1

Final-round scoring average: 70.7

Tournament name: Hoag Classic

Date: March 17-19, 2023

Start since 45th win: 2nd

Finish: T7 (64-66-73)

Strokes behind winner: 3

Position entering final round: 1st

Strokes back entering final round: Led by 1

Langer shot his age or better for the ninth time on PGA TOUR Champions with an opening-round 64. He held a one-stroke lead entering the final round but closed with 2-over par 73 to finish T7. He still led with seven holes remaining, but fell from a three-way tie for the lead with a three-putt bogey at 14. Another three-putt bogey at 17 ended his bid. "Basically it came down to the putter," he said. "I didn't putt well. I missed two very short ones and had … a couple of three-putts. Didn't play too bad I played good enough to shoot one or two under or something. That would have done it, but the putter was not good enough."

Running totals since No. 45

Starts: 2

Top-10s: 1

Best finish: T7

Times entered final round within 5 shots of lead: 1

54-hole leads: 1

Final-round scoring average: 71.5

Tournament name: Cologuard Classic

Date: March 3-5, 2023

Start since 45th win: 1st

Finish: T19 (72-68-70)

Strokes behind winner: 9

Position entering final round: T15

Strokes back entering final round: 7

After opening with even-par 72, Langer sat T36 on the leaderboard. He managed back-to-back under-par rounds on the weekend to finish T15. During the tournament, Langer surpassed the 1,000-round milestone on PGA TOUR Champions.

Running totals since No. 45

Starts: 1

Top-10s: 0

Best finish: T19

Times entered final round within 5 shots of lead: 0

54-hole leads: 0

Final-round scoring average: 70.0