Langer lands maiden Seniors Tour title

Bernhard Langer clinched his maiden European Seniors Tour title at the inaugural Casa Serena Open to close the gap on Ian Woosnam at the top of the Order of Merit after winning the battle of the former Masters Champions. Langer carded a third consecutive four under par 67 to finish on 12 under par 201, three strokes clear of the Welshman who birdied the last for a one under par 70 to finish runner up on nine under par 204. Germany’s Langer, one of Europe’s most decorated golfers, posted birdies on the first , 12th, 14th and 18th holes, while Woosnam dropped shots on the third and 11th holes after also opening with a birdie before picking up shots on the 14th and 18th. It was another flawless round of golf from Langer, who only dropped one shot during his 54 holes at Casa Serena Golf, near Prague, to complete a double in the Czech Republic following his win at the Czech Open in 1997. The 51 year old’s victory at the tournament staged by Langer Sport Marketing, the company run by his brother Erwin, means only €12,787 now separates the two Ryder Cup winning Captains at the top of the Order of Merit. Langer said: “It’s pretty special winning here in the Czech Republic where my dad was born and my brother is running the tournament. It’s pretty cool. “Playing alongside Ian and Peter (Mitchell) was also special. Both guys played very well but just didn’t make any putts. I played with Ian at The Senior Open Championship in July and he is very competitive. I played well in that tournament too so it has been a great year for me over here this year. “Prague is a very good place for me after also winning on The European Tour so hopefully we can continue to come here for a number of years to come.” Langer said his consistency over the three rounds had landed him the title, although he said the course at Casa Serena Golf had proved a tough challenge. “I only had one bogey in the tournament but I got away with a few shots but overall I was very pleased,” he said. “I had one little hiccup on the seventh today but I played really well on the back nine. The three 67s look very consistent but there was a lot of ups and downs in those numbers.” Englishman Gordon J Brand’s pursuit of three consecutive victories faltered when he opened with back-to-back bogeys but he recovered to sign for a one under par 70 and keep up the pressure on the top two in the Order of Merit. Brand finished tied third with American Bob Boyd, who also shot a 70 to record his best finish of 2008 so far.