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 putt on the par-5 18th hole, throwing his arms up in the air and tossing his hat to the ground in celebration to close out a final-round 66. He finished his day at 18 under and then watched as Steven Alker miss a birdie putt to end his week at 17 under, tied with Richard Green for second.
For Langer, it’s his PGA Tour Champions-leading 47th victory and his first this season, giving him at least one win on the senior circuit every year since 2007, his first year on the tour.
Langer, 67, shot his age Saturday to take the 54-hole lead. That marked the 22nd time he shot his age or better. In Friday’s second round, he beat his age by three after posting a 64.
He started the final round with four straight birdies and led by five at one point. He did run into a spot of 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 made birdie on the par-3 13th hole to nudge his lead back to three over Green but then on 17, Langer banged his second shot out of the rough off 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 stuffed his third on 17 to less than a foot, setting up a tap-in birdie. Green then drained a long birdie on 18 to finish at 17 under and wait. Langer then made a two-footer for bogey, and suddenly there was a three-way tie for the lead.
But Langer survived the last hole after hitting his third deep. His four-day total this week was 266 after scores were 69-64-67-66.
Langer’s win at Phoenix Country Club came in the tour’s final event on the 2024 schedule. It’s also his first win in this tournament. He has won the season-long title a tour-high six times but each time did so without winning the season finale.
This is the 25th different PGA Tour Champions tournament he has won.
Alker won the Schwab Cup, the season-long points race.
Langer overcame a serious injury in 2024
In February, Langer suffered a ruptured Achilles and missed seven events. He’s been using a golf cart during competition and did so again this week. On Friday, he was asked if at the time did he have thoughts he might not make it back to the tour.
“I’m a very positive person, so I always thought I would be able to come back. My surgeon and PT said if everything goes somewhat well, you should be OK, just you’re probably going to lose half the season or something like that,” he said. “I was fortunate to come back after three months actually. The nice thing, we can use carts out here. Because I wasn’t able to walk 18 holes, it helped me. When people ask me how are you doing now, I’m nowhere near 100 percent, but I’m a functioning golfer.”
How the Schwab points work
Unlike the PGA Tour’s post-season – where the Tour Championship winner is declared the FedEx Cup champion – it’s possible to have someone win the final tournament while someone else captures the Schwab season title.
The winner of the tournament wins the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. The winner of the season-long race is the Charles Schwab Cup champion.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bernhard Langer takes Schwab Cup at Phoenix Country Club
