Hurts so good: Aching Langer, 50, one off PLAYERS lead

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Bernhard Langer rolled in a 60-foot putt for birdie on the iconic 17th hole. (Getty Images)

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- He's got a bad back and a bum knee. Oh, and that left shoulder of his has been bothering Bernhard Langer for about a year now.

On Wednesday evening, the 50-year-old from Germany felt so bad he told officials at THE PLAYERS Championship that he might withdraw. He made his 7:30 tee time the following morning, though, and 36 holes later, Langer is one stroke off the lead.

Langer's brilliant 67 on Friday was the low round of a hot and blustery afternoon when the Stadium Course played to a cumulative 2.478 strokes over par. Only one other player, Stephen Ames, managed to break 70 with a round of 4 under.

"So thrilled to be here, to be talking, to be swinging -- and obviously thrilled with the score as well," said Langer, who trails 47-year-old Kenny Perry at 6 under.

"He's rolling back the years," said Ian Poulter, who's 32 and could only manage a 74 on Friday. "He's a grinder, isn't he? He always has been. He's always ground rounds out whether he's played good or bad, or whatever the weather is. It's pretty impressive."

The highlight of Langer's round came at the 17th hole when he rolled in a 60-footer for birdie to briefly move to 6 under before he gave a stroke back on the final hole. At the same time, the soft-spoke man from Germany was 6 under through his first eight holes.

Langer called the start "close to perfection." And he showed a rare display of emotion on the island green when he thrust his arms into the air and began celebrating the successful putt before it had even dropped. The birdie was his 24th at the diabolical 17th hole.

"Every time you make a birdie, especially on a hole like that, you feel like you're gained a couple of shots on the field, not just one," Langer said. "It's a grind out there. It's not easy because it's the type of golf course where every shot can ride disaster, basically, if you're not spot on, or close to it."

Langer is playing in his 23rd PLAYERS Championship, and he acknowledged that experience certainly played a factor Friday. The way the Stadium Course is set up, though, may actually have more to do with the consummate tactician's success.

"I think the way the golf course is playing now with the firmer greens, with the firmer fairways and the firmer greens, distance is not everything," Langer said. "It helps to be long, but it's not as important as some other golf courses we play on the PGA TOUR. And it's more of a golf course where precision is more important than length."

On a day when AARP cards trumped TOUR cards, Fred Couples, who will celebrate his 49th birthday in October, said Langer's round was amazing, but hardly shocking.

"That's phenomenal golf," said Couples who is three strokes back after a round of even par. "He's a great player. I don't think with really great players it's an age thing. He's playing a lot, which helps. He's winning on the (Champions) Tour, which also helps.

A year ago, Langer finished 83rd on the PGA TOUR money list and 68th in FedExCup points. He turned 50 last August and has won three of his first 15 events on the Champions Tour. He currently leads both the Charles Schwab Cup race and money list.

Langer, who has won more than 70 events around the globe, is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, as well. But he's hardly ready to put his clubs in the closet and Couples says those recent Champions Tour victories have certainly given Langer confidence.

"That's a nice feeling, to go play the last few holes and beat people and win a trophy and come out and play with us and get off to a good start, which he has," Couples said. "I wouldn't be surprised and if it stays like this, for him to do well on the weekend."

And should Langer win THE PLAYERS Championship come Sunday? Well, he would bypass Fred Funk, who won the tournament at the age of 48, and earn a five-year exemption on the PGA TOUR.

Langer would also be the fifth oldest winner in history -- trailing Sam Snead (1965 Greensboro Open/52 years, 10 months and eight days), Art Wall (1975 Greater Milwaukee Open - 51/7/10), Jim Barnes (1937 Long Island Open - 51/3/7), and John Barnum (51/1/5).

"How bout that?" said Champions Tour veteran Dana Quigley, who was following his nephew Brett on Friday at THE PLAYERS.

"I guarantee I'm going to lead a charge to take up a collection send him back out there. But see, now he's hooked up with us because he's got the lead in the Charles Schwab and all that stuff so now he's hooked and he's going to have to play with us.

"I wish (he'd get the five-year TOUR exemption). We would not miss him, I can tell you that. He's that good. It's pretty damn good to be that age and be right in the action here. This guy could easily win this golf tournament, and nothing's easy playing 18 holes on this track."