![Bernhard Langers]()
Age was just a number for longtime professional golfer Bernhard Langer until he tore his Achilles earlier this year. The two-time Masters champion has continued playing remarkable golf on the PGA Tour Champions circuit and has been the leading money winner in 11 of his seasons out there.
Not bad considering the young guns on that tour (read: those who just turn 50 and are immediately eligible) tend to ascend to the top more often than not.
Despite Langer staying lean and aging gracefully with a full stack of lettuce on his scalp still intact, an Achilles tear would be enough to take most 66-year-olds out for good. Not him. Because thanks to the same cutting-edge speed bridge surgery that
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers opted for to expedite his recovery, Langer is making his fourth start this week since coming back a mere two months post-procedure.
How about nine birdies and an eagle to shoot a 9-under 63 and pull within just one stroke of the lead entering Sunday's final round? Is
that any good?
https://twitter.com/championstour/status/1797000875052843281
https://twitter.com/championstour/status/1797004053613855123
One of the many great things about golf is that it's a lifelong sport, and there's no real cap on when you can stop playing. In fact, the older you get, the easier it it becomes to shoot your age or better. Not to say it's child's play, though. The legendary
Gary Player claims he can shoot his age "with his eyes closed." That's not reality for most of us. Conveniences of modern society, medicine and wellness aside, a good number of 60-something weekend warriors experience a sharp decline in physical skills. Father Time. Mother Time. No longer near one's physical prime. Call it what you will.
When you factor in that Langer was in a tournament setting, not long at all removed from blowing out his Achilles — a
major injury! — and still beat his age by three strokes at 66? It's one of the more staggering achievements in sports that come immediately to mind. Here's a good look at more on Langer's recovery from a previously-released video.
https://twitter.com/ChampionsTour/status/1783903790648758753
For the "golf is not a real sport" crowd, I can hear that argument but only to an extent. Golfers often wreck their backs. They play through discomfort and often get weird, fluky, compensatory injuries as a result. Countless hours of practice can really take their toll.
All I'm trying to say is, what a hell of a job by Langer to bounce back so fast. That's legitimately freaky. You can't tell me he
isn't an athlete. And as for the Rodgers angle, this is beyond encouraging. I get that football is a far more physical sport than golf. The bottom line: Rodgers returning to practice last year so soon wasn't some publicity stunt. He wasn't pushing himself too far too fast just to create a stir and laugh in the face of modern medicine. That quick recovery time was real. Now he's had plenty of additional rehab and a full offseason of rest.
Bernhard Langer is proof positive that Rodgers should truly have no restrictions when the Jets kick off their season Week 1 on
Monday Night Football in San Francisco against the 49ers. And not to take anything away from our guy Bernhard, but it's pretty awesome to think about his prowess on Saturday from a Rodgers-centric perspective amid the months-long wait for the NFL to return. All his
bizarre personal opinions aside, the NFL is better from an on-field perspective when Rodgers is healthy and rolling.
In other words, don't worry about that practice footage of a hobbled Rodgers from several days back. Already debunked by a medical professional. Further debunked by Langer in a circuitous way.
https://twitter.com/DrJesseMorse/status/1796185174138343813
