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THE 147TH OPEN

July 21, 2018

Bernhard Langer

Angus, Scotland, United Kingdom

Q. Good day in the office?
BERNHARD LANGER: Yeah, it's a good day in the office. I played very well, hit some great iron shots. Played a lot better. Gave myself a lot of opportunities. Didn't putt particularly good, but putted decent. Had a three-putt and missed one short one. Otherwise, it was fairly solid.

Q. Did you feel energy coming from the people? You seemed to be getting good support a bit?
BERNHARD LANGER: It was great. Almost felt like the old days. People really appreciate, I guess, what I've done in my career and that I'm still here at age 60 and still playing decent golf. They appreciate good golf. They know when they see a good shot and a good whatever it is, good bunker shot, good long shot. They respect it. It's just fun being out here.

Q. I know your focus is on this weekend, but obviously next week is a good weekend going into next week, isn't it?
BERNHARD LANGER: Yeah, I love links golf, period. Whenever I get a chance, I enjoy links golf very much. This is a good couple of weeks, play Carnoustie and St. Andrews back to back, it doesn't get a whole lot better than that. So it's fantastic.

Q. The game of golf has obviously changed with the equipment and all the different changes that's been made. How much pride does it give you to go out at this stage of your career to show you can compete at this level and still do it and still be appreciated by the crowds that you have?
BERNHARD LANGER: You can really only do that in the game of golf. You can't do it in tennis or in soccer or whatever because it's all physical. Golf, there's a lot more to it. It's very technical. It's very mental. It's consistency. It's strategy. And especially on links golf, you can play every hole three different ways or two different ways for sure. You can lay back and hit 3 iron into the green or hit driver, and if you pull it off, you have a wedge or a 9 iron, and if you don't, you're in deep trouble. So there's different ways of going about it.

Either way, you have to execute. You don't get away with a lot of bad shots.

Q. Do you watch the football team?
BERNHARD LANGER: I'm afraid to say yes.

Q. (Inaudible).
BERNHARD LANGER: Well, we'll find out. I don't think they care as much about golf as they do about soccer.

Q. They should.
BERNHARD LANGER: Well, maybe they should. That's true. I've been saying that for 30 years, but they're not listening.

Q. You obviously know sportsmen from all different sports. Do you find, not jealousy, but a bit of envy from them? You look at them now in their careers and you can keep going. Do they look at you and say, you're lucky to be able to still do it?
BERNHARD LANGER: Some of them say it, and some I can feel it or whatever. It's pretty unique. There's not too many of us that are still playing at this level into the 60s. It's not easily done, let's put it that way. It's a very difficult game, as we all know, and I've been fortunate enough to be healthy enough and love the game enough that I still work at it and enjoy working at it and been blessed with a very long career. So very fortunate.

I can understand that other guys hang it up and do TV work or become a club pro or whatever they were doing, retire. Not everybody's made of the same -- you know what I'm trying to say.

Q. That's the thing. You're so dedicated. Are there ever some days where you get up and, I just can't bother today?
BERNHARD LANGER: Yeah, it definitely gets harder. I wake up every morning, every morning, and something is hurting. Just stiff and achy and sometimes painful. You have to go through that routine, warm up, and ride the bike, loosen up, stretch, get those joints moving. It's labor at times. It's not all fun. My wife says, "Go have fun." I say, "Well, I'm going to work." It often feels like work.

Q. (Inaudible).
BERNHARD LANGER: Well, if you put it that way, of course, I would love to win The Open Championship. But I understand how difficult that is, what a task that is. I spend most of my time on the Champions Tour, so my goals are set for there, to be one of the best players out there, to win senior majors, to win tournaments, maybe become the player of the year again or the leading money winner or the Schwab Cup winner, whatever.

There's things that we have, goals out there that are worthwhile trying to achieve, and those are mostly my goals. I don't have the opportunity to play on the regular tour much. I really don't want to full-time. I've done that long enough. I'm happy to play where I am and enjoy that phase of life.

Q. Will this be your last when you finish?
BERNHARD LANGER: It could well be my last. Exactly. That's the only way I'm going to get back in the tournament is by winning the Senior Open Championship because I'm not going to go qualify.

Q. (Inaudible).
BERNHARD LANGER: Yeah, it's been a good run. I've looked at it, and I've had seconds and thirds, several of them. Came close. It's the one I wanted, and I didn't get. What can you do? I've been blessed with two Masters titles and many other victories. Still good to be back, though.

Q. (Inaudible).
BERNHARD LANGER: Is that so? Hopefully, mine doesn't run away.

Q. Do you think it would be exactly the same, have the same dedication if your results weren't good?
BERNHARD LANGER: Oh, if they weren't as good?

Q. Yeah.
BERNHARD LANGER: Yeah, I think, if they weren't good, I would -- yeah, I couldn't do it.

Q. Is it the passion for the game or the passion for the competition?
BERNHARD LANGER: Both. But if I wouldn't be competitive, I wouldn't have good results. I don't think I would enjoy it to the point where I would put in the effort and the time and the work. And then sooner or later, I don't need to be out there to make another 10,000 pounds or $10,000 or whatever it is. I could retire and just live a happy life or whatever you want to call it.

So I'm out there to be competitive, and I like the adrenaline rush. I like to be in the hunt. And that's what keeps me driving, what keeps me going. If I would finish 40th every week, you won't see me out here very often anymore. Then it's time to go.

Q. Talk me through your training, your daily routine. How much time do you dedicate?
BERNHARD LANGER: Like most others. Get up three hours before, whatever. You spend about 45 minutes working out and stretching, and then an hour and 15 warming up and play 18 holes, which is probably 4 1/2 hours, have lunch, and then put some more time into it where I practise again for an hour or two and stretch again and do that kind of stuff. That's the daily routine.

Q. Even when you're not playing?
BERNHARD LANGER: No, when I'm not playing, I'm not playing 18 holes. So the 4 1/2 hours are gone. I don't practise every day when I'm home anymore because I don't think I should or need to. I also need time away. When you think I joined the Tour when I was 18, so that's 43 years ago. 43 years of pounding balls, putting stress on my back and my joints and my ligaments and on and on you go. You need time away. You need to take a few days off and put the clubs in the corner and do something else, refresh your mind and give your body a rest.

And that's something I had to learn too, but the older I get, the more I need that.

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