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Langer says Amen!
Three-hole surge gives '85 champ second green coat
By David Westin
Staff Writer
Augusta, Ga., Monday, April 12, 1993 -- After 10 straight pars, a sudden burst at the final leg of Amen Corner Sunday set the stage for Bernhard Langer's second Masters Tournament victory.
The stoic German entered Amen Corner (No.s 11 through 13) one shot ahead of Dan Forsman and two in front of Chip Beck. By the time the golfers finished that stretch of holes, Mr. Langer led Mr. Beck by three shots and Mr. Forsman by six.
Mr. Langer went par, par, eagle around Amen Corner. Mr. Beck went par, par, birdie and Mr. Forsman wen par, quadruple bogey, birdie. The lead went to four shots over Mr. Beck after 15 holes and five after 16.
On the 25th anniversary of the scorecard gaffe that cost Roberto De Vincenzo a spot in a playoff against Bob Goalby, Mr. Langer, in total command of his game, produced a 2-under-par 70, playing the back nine in 2-under-par 34.
Mr. Langer finished at 11-under par 277 for a four-shot victory over Mr. Beck, who matched Mr. Langer's 70. It was the largest margin of victory since 1983 when Seve Ballesteros also won by four. Foreigners have now won five of the last six Masters titles and seven of the last 11.
``It's a great honor to win the greatest tournament in the world,'' said Mr. Langer, who has won 38 tournaments worldwide.
When Mr. Langer won his first masters title in 1985, he shot a final round 68, but also was the beneficiary of a collapse by Curtis Strange.
``I don't care how I win,'' Mr. Langer said. ``A win is a win. I had the lowest score that year.''
Mr. Langer led by four shots at the beginning of Sunday's round over Mr. Beck and Mr. Forsman, who shot 73 and finished tied for seventh.
Mr. Langer, 35, is the 12th golfer in Masters history to win at least two green coats. He joins Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Sam Snead, Tom Watson, Byron Nelson Ben Hogan, Jimmy Demaret, Horton Smith, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo as multiple winners.
The $306,000 first-place check from the $1.7 million purse moves Mr. Langer up from the No. 13 spot to No. 3 in career earnings in the Masters with $563,807.
In just three appearances on this side of the Atlantic this year, Mr. Langer has won $609,500, tops on the PGA Tour. Mr. Langer does not play the PGA Tour. He's on the European Tour.
In his previous two PGA Tour appearances this season, Mr. Langer finished tied for sixth at the Nestle Invitational and second at The Players Championship. For 12 rounds, Mr. Langer is 27 under par. This week, Mr. Langer never shot over par on any nine-hole side.
The methodical Mr. Langer was solid as a rock Sunday, never showing signs of the final round nerves that had plagued him since his first Masters victory in 1985. Mr. Langer was 15 over par in final rounds since his winning year, failing to even match par in any of those rounds.
``I didn't realize that,'' Mr. Langer said. ``I guess it's about time I broke that record.''
Mr. Langer's victory wasn't as easy as it sounds. Mr. Beck, playing in the same pairing with Mr. Langer for the second straight day, was 3 under par for the first seven holes and pulled to within one shot of Mr. Langer at that point. And Mr. Forsman, playing the group ahead of Mr. Langer and Mr. Beck, was only one back after nine holes. Mr. Beck trailed by two shots.
Mr. Beck's fast start - birdies at Nos. 2, 3 and 7 - forced Mr. Langer to change his game plan. He had said Saturday that he planned to play conservative golf with his four shot lead in the final round.
``Chip had a great start. He was playing pretty well. Fortunately, I was playing well, too. I was firing at every flag,'' Mr. Langer said. ``I even surprised myself. I felt so good about my swing and the way I was hitting the ball that I thought I could pull off the shots. And I pretty much did.''
Though Mr. Langer was striking the ball well on the front nine, all he had to show for it was an even-par 36. Mr. Langer had bogeyed No. 1, birdied No. 2 and parred the other seven holes.
``I looked at the leader board for the first time on No. 10,'' Mr. Langer said. ``I only had a one-shot lead. It was pretty obvious I had to play well on the back nine. No one was backing off. I had to win it.''
Win t Mr. Langer did. He sliced two shots off par on the back nine with the 34 in a commanding performance.
``He played well,'' Mr. Beck said. ``We've had a lot of good matches. I've won some from him and he's won some from me. He got one today. There will probably be many more.''
``Bernhard played a great round of golf,'' Mr. Forsman said. ``It's hard to play with the lead. He's a tactician beyond description. He doesn't beat himself.''
On the back nine, where danger lurks at almost every turn, Mr. Langer's experience served him well. He played the par 5s in 3 under, making eagle on No. 13 and birdie on No. 15. He closed his round just as he started it with a bogey on No. 18 for a 2-under-par 34.
``By then it didn't matter,'' said Mr. Beck, who had a 36 on the back. Mr. Forsman shot 40 on the back nine with a quadruple bogey 7 on the devilish par-3 12th hole where he put two balls in the water.
``A 7,'' Mr. Forsman lamented. ``People don't usually win a Masters making that kind of number. It hurt to end it like that, that quickly. I wish I could have had a mulligan.''
Mr. Langer watched from the 11th green as Mr. Forsman's title hopes ended in Rae's Creek.
``I knew he was out of the picture at that time,'' Mr. Langer said. ``I knew it basically came down to Chip Beck and myself.''
It was on the 11th hole that Mr. Langer hit one of his few poor shots of the tournament. It almost cost him dearly. On his approach shot to the green, he pulled a 6-iron shot. It came up a couple of feet from going in the pond that guards the left side of the green.
``I thought it was in the water, I honestly did,'' Mr. Langer said.
Instead, Mr. Langer 2-putted for par to maintain the two-shot edge over Mr. Beck, who also parred.
After both escaped with pars on No. 12, the turning point of the round came on No. 13. Mr. Langer, facing a 202-yard second shot to the par-5 green, knocked it to within 20 feet of the hole after Mr. Beck had put his second shot 23 feet.
``I would always go for that (second) shot because I think I can pull it off,'' Mr. Langer said. ``At the time I had a 2-shot lead and I figured I had to make two or three more birdies.''
Mr. Beck missed his eagle attempt, but Mr. Langer, on practically the same line, rolled his in. The lead was up to three shots.
Mr. Langer, the man with the unorthodox putting style, went up by four shots with a birdie on No. 15 after laying up, wedging up and making a 7-footer. Mr. Beck, facing a 236-yard carry over water to the green, also elected to lay up. Mr. Beck's third shot went over the green and he had to settle for par. Mr. Langer led by four.
``I was a little surprised he laid up,'' Mr. Langer said. ``My caddy said 'he's got to go for it if he wants to have any chance to win.' I said, `I agree.''
The lead went to five when Mr. Beck bogeyed No. 16. Both men parred No. 17. On No. 18, Mr. Langer was in both the fairway and greenside bunker and made bogey.
It was the first victory in the States for Mr. Langer since he won the 1985 Heritage Classic. The week before that, Mr. Langer won the Masters by one shot.
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