AUGUSTA, Ga. — For Bernhard Langer, finding faith was a journey that began at Amen Corner.
In 1985, this German golfer secured his first green jacket at Augusta National. He mentioned Jesus` name during his winner`s interview at Butler Cabin. Days later, a profound spiritual experience followed at a Bible study in Hilton Head, South Carolina. In 1993, his second Masters victory occurred on Easter Sunday, at what many consider the heart of American golf.
`This tournament held a deeper significance for me than most realize, particularly in a spiritual sense,` Langer, now 67, reflected on Friday.
He spoke in the past tense, as a bogey had placed him just outside the cut line in what would be his 41st and final Masters Tournament as a competitor.
Langer`s walk off the 18th green on Friday marked the conclusion of a Masters career filled with remarkable achievements. His initial triumph came when, at 27, he became only the third international player to win, following South Africa`s Gary Player and Spain`s Seve Ballesteros. An encore green jacket followed in 1993. His record includes seven top-10 finishes, one as recent as 2014, and he even finished under par in 2020, tying for 29th at 3-under.
Langer`s enduring career spanned a significant shift in golf equipment: he remains the last major winner to have used a persimmon driver.
The era shifted as John Daly powerfully won the 1991 PGA Championship with a Kevlar-headed Cobra driver, and Jose Maria Olazabal claimed the 1994 Masters equipped with a comparatively large TaylorMade metal driver.
Reflecting on Langer’s past triumphs evokes nostalgia. As part of his Augusta farewell, the Champions Tour shared a video clip of Langer showcasing the Texan driver, from the Texas Golf Co., that he used to win 32 years prior. He then revealed his most cherished club, inspired by that victory.
`They presented me with a truly unique gift,` Langer explained. `The owner himself hand-painted this for me. It’s one of their drivers, depicting `The Last Supper` – Jesus with his twelve disciples. Hand-carved. A very special piece.`
Nearly 2,000 miles away in Jalisco, Mexico, Dave Wood was taken aback.
Wood is a multifaceted individual, raised in Hollywood, California, as the son of a golf professional and instructor. He attended the California Institute of the Arts, a highly regarded visual arts institution. Recruited to play golf at the University of Houston, he left after a year, graduating instead from the Glassell School of Art in Houston. Remaining a skilled golfer, he began to blend his passions, experimenting with club design. He found mentorship in golf legends Jackie Burke and Jimmy Demaret, both Masters champions from Texas.
This led to the creation of the Texas Golf Co., and its groundbreaking Texan driver.
`My company was the first to incorporate loft degrees on clubs,` Wood stated. `Today, every club in pro shops features this.`
Wood`s and Langer`s paths crossed at Riviera Country Club in 1984, and they quickly connected. As a competitive golfer himself, Wood stood out among equipment reps by understanding players` perspectives. In a time before launch monitors, Wood honed his products through feedback from golfing stars like Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman. Preceding Bryson DeChambeau`s robotic precision methods, Wood was pioneering equipment innovation through hands-on, rigorous methods.
He noted that Langer`s testing approach was exceptionally structured.
`Bernhard would instruct his caddie to stand at the range`s end with a signaling system,` Wood recalled. `True German precision. Based on the ball`s landing, hop, and release, the caddie would signal back to Bernhard to convey the outcome.`
Soon after, both their careers ascended.
Demaret and Burke began directing players to Wood. Phil Mickelson and Ben Crenshaw became clients, including Mickelson`s use of the Texan as an amateur to win the 1991 Tucson Open, his first PGA Tour victory. In the early 90s, Wood crafted one for Langer too.
In 1993, Wood was at Augusta from Sunday to Tuesday before a trip to Japan. There, at midnight, he watched his friend win the Masters with a club he had created.
`Had he not succeeded, I might have broken a Japanese TV,` Wood joked.
He felt compelled to create something special for both himself and Langer, commemorating this achievement. Knowing Langer`s deep Christian faith and his careful speech, Wood decided to create a Texan driver engraved with `The Last Supper`.
`Leonardo da Vinci has always been a major inspiration,` Wood shared. `After Bernhard`s Augusta victory, this became my goal. It was the ultimate challenge.`
He dedicated six months to this special driver, overcoming challenges in working with the `porosity` of persimmon wood and engraving the intricate curves of a driver head. Upon completion, eager to present it to Langer, he even forgot to photograph his creation.
So, receiving a text this week from a golf industry friend with the video featuring Langer and the driver, Wood was astonished to see Langer highlight his gift. It stirred three decades of memories – a life in golf, and now, the closing chapter with an old friend`s final Augusta round.
`It looked exactly as I remembered,` Wood said from his Mexican home. `It`s touching that it still holds importance for him, that among all his victories and trophies, he cherishes this piece.`
Wood watched on Friday as Langer wore green trousers, a nod to his 1985 win. The crowd`s standing ovations echoed across the course. Wood witnessed Langer birdie the 12th, momentarily drawing even, as if Amen Corner might offer salvation once more. However, a double bogey on the 15th and another bogey on the 18th altered the course.
`Approaching the 18th was a mix of feelings. I was still within the projected cut line, and even after a bogey, I wasn`t sure if I was out or not, as I thought 3-over might make it,` Langer recounted.
He missed the cut by a single stroke, a putt on the 18th rimming the cup.
Knowing when to retire is a particular challenge in golf. Langer is the most decorated player in PGA Tour Champions history, consistently outperforming younger players well into his sixties. On the right day, course, he can still challenge competitors half his age, or younger. (Moments after Langer concluded at 3-over, 28-year-old Will Zalatoris finished his second round at 8-over). For legends, the decision to step away often comes down to conviction.
Despite an Achilles injury from training last year, Langer has maintained remarkable fitness. He came incredibly close to becoming the oldest player to make a major cut, a record held by Sam Snead at the 1979 PGA Championship, also at 67. But Langer`s ambition extended beyond just making the weekend.
`I aim to be in contention,` Langer stated. `To be on the leaderboard, with a chance to win. On this course, I no longer feel I can win.`
Langer`s playing partner, amateur Noah Kent, averaged 322.6 yards off the tee on Thursday and Friday. Langer`s average was 253.3 yards per drive – a significant disadvantage.
`I`m hitting much longer irons into these greens, making it hard to control ball placement,` Langer explained. `This course is designed for medium to short iron approaches. The greens are extremely challenging.`
To compete, Langer had to rely on strategic misses and exceptional short game skills, applying lessons from 41 years at Alister MacKenzie`s masterpiece. He executed this strategy effectively, even questioning his retirement decision during the rounds. Now, he expresses peace with his choice.
After his 18th hole, with his son Jason as caddie, he greeted his wife, children, and grandchildren. `Many emotions have washed over me these last two days walking the fairways,` he shared. `Friends from around the globe were walking with me for stretches. It meant a great deal.` Dave Wood, his old friend in Mexico, understood deeply. Wood`s `Last Supper` driver for Langer also marked a personal end of an era.
`That was the last persimmon club I ever crafted personally,` Wood reflected. `I didn`t realize it then. That`s life`s way.`
Wood watched every shot of Langer`s Friday round, saying he`d never been more invested in a golf game.
`This is it,` Wood concluded. `The end of our era.`
Masters commentator Jim Nantz, who has covered the tournament since 1989, called Langer `one of the greatest players in Masters history.`
Langer himself pondered his legacy in his final press conference after four decades. `How will I be remembered? Hopefully, as a good golfer, but also, I hope, as a man of faith.`
