“I could have retired,” Bernhard Langer admitted in a recent interview, reflecting on the Achilles tendon tear he suffered while playing pickleball in Florida back in February. At 67, Langer is well beyond the age when most of his peers begin to step away from the PGA Tour Champions scene. Yet, known for defying age throughout his career, it wasn’t surprising to see him make a rapid recovery.

Still, a torn Achilles is no minor setback—once a career-ending injury for many pros. But after a brief recovery period following surgery, Langer was already back on the course, proving yet again that age is just a number for this golf legend. However, he still remembers the dark days of his injury, and even opened up about it once again in the

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On February 1, 2024, Bernhard Langer had the injury, and in November, he won for the 18th straight year on the PGA TOUR Champions, holing a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole to hold off Steven Alker in the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship on Sunday at Phoenix Country Club. He stated how Ben Crane came to visit him and he had a ping pong table in his living room. They even joked about buying a paddle for the game, and in fact, Crane also brought his paddle with him and ordered two paddles for him to improve his ping pong game.

When asked about the process of his recovery, he said,

“Pickleball here where I live is a part of my Fitness Regime. It’s just a fun thing to do. I went to stretch and work out before. Make sure I’m loose and played for an hour and 20, and we had booked for an hour and 30. So that really the last 10 minutes, we were in a game and somebody bumped me. I took like three steps back and smashed it over the net. And as I landed from jumping up to hit it, I hear this really loud noise, like a gunshot and I knew pretty much immediately”. 

This was because he had seen something similar happen to a friend, and soon after the sound, he injured his Achilles. But he was not sure until he was assisted by another friend. Langer has never suffered from any serious injury, making it difficult for him to understand what had happened.

Bernhard Langer stated how he never had a broken bone

During the game, Bernhard Langer had a doctor friend on the other court. He came running to see what and when he came over to look at Langer, he also concluded that it was a torn Achilles, and asked him to get an MRI. He said, “I had no idea what that meant for me. I have never really broken a bone or had any serious injuries. I mean I had back issues and other issues like many of us.” He had surgery the next day and was told that he would get back to normal in nine to twelve months.

But he went through the process of the bridge, where they put a secondary bridge to support the Achilles with anchors and rubbers, giving it less stress. But it was difficult for him. “The very first few weeks, I was helpless. It’s blessed to have my wife take care of me in any way.” But he still managed to get back, and that too with a bang!

Fast forward,

in a recent media session at the tournament, Bernhard Langer opened up about his return to the course following the serious injury. “I’m a very positive person, so I always believed I’d come back,” he shared. While his surgeon and physical therapist had expected him to miss about half the season, Langer defied the odds and made his comeback in just three months. What are your thoughts on Bernhard Langer? Let us know in the comments section below!