Bernhard Langer is preparing to make his 513th and final DP World Tour appearance this week when he tees it up at the BMW International Open in Germany.
Langer, who was born in Anhausen, Diedorf near Augsburg - just 60 miles from Golfclub Munich Eichenried - will go down as one of the most successful golfers ever to hail from Europe, with more than 120 professional wins to his name.
The 66-year-old is a two-time Masters champion who was the first-ever World No.1 in the men's game, taking his place at the summit in 1986 when the Official World Golf Ranking was originally introduced.
One of only five players to have won professional events on all six continents where golf is played, Langer has scooped three PGA Tour titles and 42 European Tour victories - putting him second on the DP World Tour's all-time list behind Seve Ballesteros (50).
And after switching mainly to senior golf circuits, Langer went on to be the most successful player to date, winning a record 12 senior Major championships and over 50 titles in total, including a record 46 victories on PGA Tour Champions.
"But, by God, does he know how to play golf!"@padraig_h 🤝 @BernhardLanger6 pic.twitter.com/AadWJktraSJuly 3, 2024
Although he is not fully retiring this week, the man who underwent Achilles surgery following a pickleball accident earlier in the year is set to close a 50-year chapter of featuring on the European and DP World Tour.
And discussing the subject before he begins alongside Italian Open winner Marcel Siem and another hero of German golf, Martin Kaymer, Langer admitted the next few days are likely to be highly emotional.
He said: “It means a great deal, just to play in front of the home crowd. And hopefully I can make the cut, but I hear the golf course is a lot longer than it used to be, and that's a challenge for me. I'm getting shorter, and the course is getting longer and that's not a good combination.
“I grew up about 45 minutes from here. I worked as an Assistant professional 30 minutes from here at Munich Country Club. I have a lot of friends, some relatives and just people that have been with me, supported me for many, many years in the game of golf, and obviously I've played this tournament many times.
“I've never said goodbye to anything so far in terms of golf. This is going to be a first experience and I have a feeling it's going to be very emotional."
Langer's playing partner for the first two days, Siem, is a fellow German who has big plans to join his countryman as a Ryder Cup winner at Bethpage Black next year after clinching a sixth DP World Tour prize in Italy last week.
Siem admitted Langer - who won five out of his 10 Ryder Cup appearances - has always been a role model to him and outlined exactly why, pre-tournament.
He said: "What Bernhard achieved is special. It's going to be very tough to achieve what he did. You should never say never. I think he's a superb human being, a role model for all of us.
"His behaviour is just outstanding. His technique is very unique as well. That's what I love about him. His work ethic too.”
