Naples, Florida: Germany’s Bernhard Langer shot his age or better for the third time on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, posting an eight-under-par 64 to take the first-round lead at the Chubb Classic Friday in Naples, Fla.
Langer holds a two-shot lead over Tim Petrovic and Sweden’s Robert Karlsson.
Tied for fourth behind them are Paul Stankowski, Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand and Retief Goosen of South Africa at 5-under 67.
Langer, who has 42 Champions Tour titles to his name - three shy of Hale Irwin’s all-time record, played the front nine in two-under before running off five consecutive birdies at Nos. 11-15. He then birdied the last, finishing his day at the Black Course at Tiburon Golf Club without a bogey.
“It’s just fun shooting your age,” Langer said. “It was really fun doing it the first time on my actual birthday (at the 2021 Ally Challenge last August).
It’s still special because it’s not easy to do. Yeah, hopefully it gets easier as we get older, but we’ll find out. The future will show.” Langer also won the Chubb Classic in 2011, 2013 and 2016.
Karlsson posted eight birdies and two bogeys to shoot 66. He strung together three straight birdies at Nos. 13-15 to get to 6 under. He bogeyed the par-4 17th hole to give one back, but birdied the par-5 18th to return to six-under.
Karlsson missed the final few events of the 2021 season while dealing with back problems, so he said he would have been OK with any score Friday.
“Talked to three different doctors. They all say the same things: Six weeks without golf balls and then you can start slowly, so that’s what I did,” Karlsson said.
Tied for seventh at 4-under 68 are Scott Dunlap, Rocco Mediate, Doug Barron, Jerry Kelly, Steve Flesch and England’s Paul Broadhurst. Ernie Els of South Africa is among those at 3 under.
Former Masters champion Ian Woosnam of Wales withdrew after eight holes due to back and neck issues.
