Competition Fuels Defending Champion

By Brady Garthee

USGA Boatwright Intern

NEWPORT -- Repeating as champion is never easy. For Bernhard Langer, physical hurdles will be a challenge in order to play well this week at the 44th U.S. Senior Open at Newport Country Club. 

The 66-year-old legend has the opportunity to shock the world and win a major tournament while recovering from the worst injury that has derailed so many careers across sports. 

In February, Langer tore his Achilles playing pickleball in Boca Raton, Florida.

Now, five months later, he is competing and defending his title at the U.S. Senior Open. 

With most Achilles injuries, athletes are shut down and going through rehabilitation for at least 8 to 12 months. With the help of New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the time to come back from such an injury has changed dramatically.  

Like Langer, Rodgers had the same Achilles injury in September 2023. During the first game of the season against the Buffalo Bills, Rodgers used unorthodox methods to get himself back on the practice field two months after surgery. The way Rodgers went about his injury caught the attention of many around the sports world. 

A lot of the athletes who have torn their Achilles have reached out to Rodgers, Langer included. 

“We were on the phone for about an hour and had been texting a couple times because he had the identical injury and the identical surgery," explained Langer. "It was interesting to hear his thoughts on the rehab, what he did and what I was doing, and it was on very similar lines and similar progress as well.” 

Langer, along with his doctors and physical therapists have put the 12-time Senior Major Champion in a place to come back quicker and still be able to play golf on the biggest stage. 

However, Bernhard’s body still has a ways to go before being 100 percent.

“My leg and ankle are swollen. It’s fatigue. I don’t have the range of motion in my foot," he said. "I’m like this, and the other leg is like that … My balance is not where I want it to be, and my strength . . . I’ve got a ways to go, and I’m happy to play golf. The good thing is I can get carts in tournaments because right now I can’t walk four or five days, 18 holes. It’s impossible.”  

With modern science and the drive that has been instilled in Langer, nothing is impossible. He'll put his body to the test this week at Newport Country Club.