The year is 2022. And a 64-year-old is again the man to beat this week on the PGA Tour Champions.
That’s for golfers age 50 and over.
Saturday, Bernhard Langer put himself in position for his 43rd Champions victory, making an 8-footer for birdie on the final hole to take a two-stroke lead at the Chubb Classic presented by SERVPRO on Tiburón Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort’s Black Course.
Langer, a three-time winner in Naples, matched his age with an 8-under 64 on Friday and then shot a 4-under 68 to finish at 12 under.
“It was a little more up and down,” Langer said. “(Friday) I had a very clean card, no bogeys. Today I had seven birdies, but also three bogeys.
“… But still happy where I am.”
Bernhard Langer from Germany reacts after putting on the 18th green during the second round of the Chubb Classic at Tiburon Golf Club on February 19, 2022, in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
Retief Goosen, Scott Parel, and Tim Petrovic are all two back going into Sunday’s final round. Steven Alker, who shot a 7-under 65 capped by a 30-foot eagle on the final hole, and Jerry Kelly are four behind Langer.
Goosen was 10 under but bogeyed Nos. 12 and 14 to fall back, then responded with birdies on Nos. 15 and 18.
In between, he made a par on the par-4 17th after getting a break.
“Drove it into long grass there in a fire ant nest and was lucky to get a drop away from that and managed to make par, so that was big turnaround for the round,” Goosen said.
Retief Goosen from South Africa looks on from the first tee box during the second round of the Chubb Classic at Tiburon Golf Club on February 19, 2022, in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
Parel, who won this tournament at The Classics at Lely Resort in 2020, got in some iron work after struggling with that part of his game in the first round. He still didn’t feel good about it after his range session before the second round, then hit his tee shot on No. 1 right — he thought he may have been out of bounds — but got up and down for a par.
“Then I was like ‘OK, well if I can make par from there maybe I can hit some good shots and make some birdies,” he said.
Parel did, birdieing Nos. 2, 3, 6, and 9, and then Nos. 11, 15, 16, and 18 on the back to move up the leaderboard with an 8-under 64.
Petrovic, a Calusa Pines Golf Club member, made an eagle on No. 6 after a good par save on No. 5 when he had to hit a shot out of a water hazard. He birdied No. 9, then had seven pars and birdies on Nos. 15 and 18 on the back.
Langer birdied the first hole and added three more birdies and a bogey on the front nine, but he slowed down with four pars and a bogey on the next five holes. He birdied Nos. 15 — an eagle putt lipped out — and 16 — hitting a 6-iron to a couple of inches — before stumbling with a bogey on No. 17, and recovering with the birdie on the 18th.
Langer did a little fist pump after getting the last one to fall.
“It’s nice to have a two-shot lead, not a one-shot lead,” he said. “It’s nice to make a putt and finish the day well and give the people something to cheer about, too.”
It wasn’t a knockout punch to the rest of the field, though.
“Trying to beat Bernhard, I mean that’s really cool,” Alker said.
“He’s unbelievable,” Parel, 56, said. “I saw him (Friday), I’m like, I’m glad you’re shooting your age and not my age, because then we would have no chance.”
“Anybody can shoot a low one (Sunday), but I think as long as we finish ahead of Bernard, you got a good chance of winning,” Goosen said with a smile.
Greg Hardwig is a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @NDN_Ghardwig, email him at ghardwig@naplesnews.com. Support local journalism with this special subscription offer at https://cm.naplesnews.com/specialoffer/