Langer holds off Pavin to win Senior Open at Carnoustie

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Bernhard Langer held off the challenge of Corey Pavin to win The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard at Carnoustie.
The German, who lives in Florida, kept his cool to compile a closing round of 72 for a five under par total, one better than the US Ryder Cup Captain, who finished his first Senior Major with a round of 70.
Langer, pictured, has enjoyed a glittering career since turning 50 and joining the US Champions (Seniors) Tour almost three years ago, where he has won consecutive Order of Merit titles and finished in the top ten in seven of his 12 Senior Majors, but incredibly this was his first Major since winning the second of his Green Jackets at Augusta National in 1993.
"This ranks very high," said Langer. "Obviously it was pretty close to my two US Masters championships and some of The Ryder Cup stuff I won - it's a thrill to finally hold this trophy.
"Corey played very well all day, he's a beautiful ball striker and bends the ball both directions and he has a great short game. I knew he wouldn't go away.
"You still get nervous, and especially a Championship that means something to you. As you know, I've always wanted to win The Open Championship and this is the next best thing. I probably will not win The Open Championship, but I'm very pleased to win The Senior Open Championship on a great golf course like this.
"Carnoustie is a wonderful, tough links course, maybe the toughest I've ever played. The set-up was very good and I want to congratulate the people who set up the golf course from the European PGA, and also I want to thank MasterCard for their title sponsorship and support of this tournament."
Langer started the day three clear of his playing partner and by the time they teed off it was quickly becoming apparent that the rest of the field were going to be unable to challenge the final pair.
Pavin trimmed the gap to two with a birdie at the 459 yard second before Langer responded at the fifth.
And the former Ryder Cup Captain's lead was up to four stroke when Pavin dropped a shot at the seventh, only for Langer to experience a wobble and bogey the eighth and ninth.
Pavin was within one when he birdied the 11th, before both players tapped in for birdie at the par five 14th.
The turning point came at the 471 yard 15th - Pavin appeared to hold all the aces when he found the fairway with his drive and Langer hit his tee shot into thick rough.
But the former US Open Championship winner pulled his second into a greenside bunker and bogeyed while Langer chipped his third to six feet and saved par.
Pavin almost chipped in at the 17th for birdie, but needed a two shot swing at the last.
Langer drove right but his ball stopped short of the water, although he could only fire his second to the fairway 130 yards short of the green.
Pavin found the fairway off the tee, but left his approach just short of the green and when Langer pitched his third to 12 feet, Pavin needed to hole his lengthy birdie putt from off the green to stand any realistic chance of a play-off but it came up five feet short.
"It's tough when you almost win," he admitted. "It's almost harder when you just finish second and not win - it's disappointing.
"I played well, and Bernhard didn't play his best golf today I would say, but he did what he needed to do to win, and that's what it's about. I just came up one shot short, that's all."
Australian Peter Senior carded a final round 68 to finish in a tie for third on one under, alongside American trio Fred Funk, Jay Don Blake and Russ Cochran.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
279 Bernhard Langer (Ger) 67 71 69 72
280 Corey Pavin 69 69 72 70
283 Russ Cochran 70 71 70 72, Fred Funk 75 69 67 72, Jay Don Blake 67 74 70 72, Peter Senior (Aus) 71 72 72 68
284 Trevor Dodds (Nam) 74 71 69 70
285 Ian Woosnam (Wal) 72 67 72 74, Jay Haas 70 69 72 74, Tommy Armour III 74 72 69 70
286 John Cook 69 72 72 73, Jeff Sluman 69 74 70 73, Tom Lehman 71 75 73 67
287 Mark Calcavecchia 70 70 75 72, Loren Roberts 71 72 75 69, Larry Mize 69 70 72 76, David Frost (Rsa) 71 75 71 70
288 Dan Forsman 68 71 74 75, Eduardo Romero (Arg) 74 73 72 69
289 Gary Hallberg 70 74 68 77, Bruce Vaughan 68 76 74 71, Mark James (Eng) 74 72 70 73, C.s. Lu (Tpe) 76 71 69 73
290 Tom Watson 74 71 71 74, Bobby Clampett 76 73 70 71
291 David J Russell (Eng) 75 67 72 77, Des Smyth (Irl) 74 74 72 71, Carl Mason (Eng) 67 76 69 79, Olin Browne 70 72 72 77
292 Michael Allen 73 70 71 78, Chris Williams (Rsa) 73 74 70 75, Glenn Ralph (Eng) 75 73 73 71, Barry Lane (Eng) 75 72 72 73
293 Ted Schulz 75 70 72 76, David Peoples 70 74 80 69, Angel Franco (Par) 73 75 71 74
294 Gene Jones 73 74 75 72, Bob Cameron (Eng) 75 73 75 71, Morris Hatalsky 71 72 76 75, Steve Cipa (Eng) 74 72 76 72
295 Denis Watson (Zim) 76 72 77 70, Randy Haag 71 77 73 74, John Harrison (Eng) 72 77 72 74, Gordon Brand Jnr (Sco) 73 75 73 74, Bill Longmuir (Sco) 75 71 76 73
296 James D Mason 71 74 77 74, Mark Wiebe 68 80 73 75, Mike Donald 69 79 72 76, Tsukasa Watanabe (Jpn) 74 74 72 76
297 Juan Quiros (Spa) 76 72 74 75, Wayne Grady (Aus) 77 71 75 74, Bob Gilder 76 73 77 71, Gordon J Brand (Eng) 73 75 74 75, Stephen Bennett (Eng) 74 73 78 72, Scott Simpson 78 69 73 77, Tim Simpson 75 74 76 72, David Merriman (Aus) 74 75 73 75
298 Domingo Hospital (Spa) 74 70 77 77, Denis O'Sullivan (Irl) 73 76 74 75, Ross Drummond (Sco) 72 74 75 77, Peter Fowler (Aus) 75 73 71 79, Ronnie Black 72 74 75 77
299 Sam Torrance (Sco) 69 77 80 73, Mark Belsham (Eng) 75 73 78 73, Hideki Kase (Jpn) 77 70 74 78, Martin Poxon (Eng) 75 74 76 74, Mike Goodes 73 75 70 81
300 Fraser Mann (Sco) 72 74 78 76
301 Boonchu Ruangkit (Tha) 75 74 75 77, Mike Cunning 74 74 77 76
302 Noel Ratcliffe (Aus) 76 72 75 79
308 John Benda 74 75 80 79
309 Philip Blackmar 75 74 81 79

EDITOR'S NOTE:
+Only one British player - Ian Woosnam - in the top 20 finishers at the Senior Open - it's like it used to be in THE Open 20-odd years ago! Of course, these guys are 20 years older now!