Paul Goydos isn’t surprised to see Bernhard Langer’s name near the top of the leaderboard heading into the final round of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. Langer sits just one stroke ahead of Goydos and they sit two and three strokes, respectively, behind Stephen Ames through 54 holes at Harbor Shores.
Still in the hunt. 🏆@KitchenAid_Golf | #SrPGA pic.twitter.com/l2vcy53MY8
— KitchenAid Senior PGA Champ (@seniorpgachamp) May 28, 2022
“No matter what we do on Tour, the best players seem to rise to the occasion and be the best players,” Goydos said about Langer. “Some guy's talent is driving it great and putting it good. [Langer’s] is being unbelievably prepared to hit the best possible shot he can hit every single shot which to me is the greatest talent there is. The guy just is incredibly dedicated to the moment at hand.”
That preparation showed on moving day as Langer recorded five birdies, offset by a single bogey at No. 18, en route to a round of 67.
But Langer did get away with a few mistakes over the closing stretch as he chipped in at No. 16 to save par and rolled in a long par save at No. 17. The four-under par round positions Langer just two strokes back of Ames and he will play in the final group with the leader along with Mike Weir, who also sits two-back with Langer at 10-under par.
Bernhard Langer was going to get this par by any means necessary. 👀#SrPGA pic.twitter.com/AcmFh2lRvU
— KitchenAid Senior PGA Champ (@seniorpgachamp) May 28, 2022
“It's always fun being in contention and it's always fun being in the last group because you pretty much can see and know what you've got to do. But you know, that bogey hurts a little bit. Not happy about that,” Langer said about his lone bogey of the day at the 18th hole. “I can't afford those mistakes tomorrow. I've got to play flawless golf to hopefully pull off W tomorrow.”
Goydos isn’t surprised to see Langer’s name once again atop the leaderboard in a major championship, and how many other players feel the same? Does Langer have the same impact on players as seeing Tiger Woods name atop the leaderboard? Will his closest competitors slink away on Sunday?
Langer held the 54-hole lead en route to capture eight of his 11 major titles. Only three times has Langer come from behind to win - at the 2019 Senior Open Championship, the 2017 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, and the 2017 Regions Tradition. If Langer can come from behind again on Sunday, he’ll capture a record 12th major title on the PGA Tour Champions and he would move within one of matching Hale Irwin’s all-time win total of 45.
“I don't think there's anybody on the leaderboard that hasn't won tournaments,” Langer said heading into the final round. “I might have won a few more than most of the guys. Hopefully there will be another one tomorrow, we'll see.”
