Bernhard Langer won the 2024 Charles Schwab Cup championship and in doing so kept his streak alive. He also did something for the first time.
Langer made a long birdie on the par-5 18th hole, throwing his arms in the air and throwing his hat to the ground to celebrate closing out a final round of 66. He finished his day at 18 under, then looked Steven Alker missed a birdie putt to finish his week at 17 under, tied with Richard Green for second.
For Langer, it was his 47th PGA Tour champion-leading victory and his first this season, giving him at least one victory on the Senior Tour every year since 2007, his first year on the tour.
Langer, 67, shot past his age on Saturday to take the 54-hole lead. It was the 22nd time he had shot his age or better. In Friday’s second round, he beat his age by three after posting a score of 64.
He started the final round with four straight birdies and led by five at one point. He ran into trouble on the back nine with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11, which cut his lead over Steven Alker and Richard Green to three.
Langer birdied the par-3 13th hole to bring his lead back to three over Green, but then at the 17th, Langer hit his second shot out of the rough onto a tree and had it come right back at him. He then put his third on the green but left himself a long putt for par. Moments later, Alker placed his third on 17 to within a foot, setting up a birdie. Green then made a long birdie on 18 to finish at 17 under and wait. Langer then made a double-footer for bogey, and suddenly there was a three-way tie for the lead.
But Langer survived the final hole after reaching his third depth. His four-day total this week was 266 after scores of 69-64-67-66.
Langer’s victory at Phoenix Country Club came in the final tour event on the 2024 schedule. It was also his first victory in this tournament. He won the season title a tour-high six times, but each time without winning the season finale.
This is the 25th different PGA Tour Champions tournament he has won.
Alker won the Schwab Cupthe points race that lasts all season.
Langer overcame serious injury in 2024
In February, Langer suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon and missed seven events. He used a golf cart during the competition and did it again this week. On Friday he was asked if, at that point, he thought he wouldn’t return to the tour.
“I’m a very positive person, so I always thought I could come back. My surgeon and my physiotherapist told me that if everything went pretty well, you should be fine, but you’ll probably lose half the season or something like that,” he said. “I was actually lucky enough to come back after three months. The good thing is that we can use carts here. Because I wasn’t able to walk 18 holes, that helped me. When people ask me how are you now, I “I’m far from 100 percent, but I’m a functioning golfer.”
How Schwab Points Work
Unlike the PGA Tour playoffs – where the winner of the Tour Championship is declared the FedEx Cup champion – it is possible for someone to win the final tournament while someone else takes home the Schwab season title.
The winner of the tournament wins the Charles Schwab Cup championship. The winner of the season-long race is Cup champion Charles Schwab.
This article was originally published on Arizona Republic: Bernhard Langer wins the Schwab Cup at Phoenix Country Club
