Langer seeking first Open victory
BY Bruce Young | Champions Tour | 2009 US Senior Open | Preview | 30 Jul 2009
Germany’s Bernhard Langer has been a prolific winner in world golf but there are several titles that he would dearly like to have won. His chances of winning a US or British Open Championship seem to have gone (although Tom Watson may have rekindled his hopes) but this week he gets a chance at a consolation when he tees it up as the raging hot favourite at the US Senior Open at the Pete Dye designed Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana about 30 minutes north of Indianapolis.
Langer is in the middle of a stunning season on the Champions Tour having won four times and established a huge lead on the money list. He arrives at this event after a great comeback at last week’s British Senior Open where he put together consecutive rounds of 65 at the weekend to miss the playoff by one and so he is primed to secure a US Open title, even if it is for the over 50’s.
Crooked Stick is probably best known for the win by John Daly at the PGA Championship in 1991 but it has also played host to a number of other significant events.
Langer’s biggest challenge might come from two of the three playoff contenders at last week’s Senior Open Championship. Loren Roberts won last week and while he has yet to win this event he has been runner up and third in two of the four occasions he has played the event. Placed second on the 2009 money list he could offer Langer his greatest threat.
Fred Funk finished runner up in the US Senior Open last year and finished runner up last week at Sunningdale. On those stats alone he could well challenge for the title.
Greg Norman is the great unknown this week. He has yet to win on the Champions Tour but is clearly a player good enough to have done so. He will be further tournament hardened by last week’s effort at the Senior British Open having led into the final round before finishing 6th.
Norman plays with Langer and Jay Haas in the opening two rounds.
Qualifier Graham Banister is the only other Australian in the field.
