AUGUSTA, Ga. — For Bernhard Langer, finding faith was a journey that started at Amen Corner.
Back in 1985, this German golfer celebrated his first Masters victory at Augusta National. He mentioned Jesus` name casually during the Butler Cabin interview, and shortly after, he experienced a spiritual awakening at a Bible study in Hilton Head, South Carolina. In 1993, his second Masters triumph occurred on Easter Sunday, right at the heart of American golf.
“This tournament held a deeper meaning for me than many realize, especially in a spiritual sense,” Langer, at 67 years old, reflected on Friday.
He spoke in the past tense because a bogey unfortunately placed him outside the cut line in what was his 41st and final Masters Tournament as a participant.
Langer`s walk off the 18th green on Friday signified the end of an era in Masters history. His initial victory came when he was 27, hailing from a small village of 800 people. He became only the third international player to win, following in the footsteps of South Africa`s Gary Player and Spain`s Seve Ballesteros. Eight years later, in 1993, he claimed his second green jacket. His Masters record includes seven top-10 finishes, with one as recent as 2014, and he even finished under par in 2020, tying for 29th at 3-under.
Langer`s enduring career spanned a significant shift in golf equipment. He remains the last major winner who played with a persimmon driver.
The rise of drivers with larger heads began with John Daly`s PGA Championship win in 1991 using a Kevlar-headed Cobra driver. Jose Maria Olazabal followed suit, winning the 1994 Masters with a relatively large TaylorMade metal driver.
Memories of Langer`s past successes sparked nostalgia. As part of his Augusta farewell, the Champions Tour, where Langer has been dominant since turning 50, shared a video. In it, Langer showcased the Texan driver by Texas Golf Co. that he used to win 32 years prior, and then revealed his most treasured club, a gift inspired by that victory.
“They presented me with a very special gift,” Langer explained. “The owner himself hand-painted this for me. It`s one of their drivers, depicting `The Last Supper,` with Jesus and the twelve disciples. Hand-carved. A truly unique piece.”
Nearly 2,000 miles away in Jalisco, Mexico, Dave Wood was taken by surprise.
Wood is a multifaceted individual with a background that blends art and golf. Growing up in Hollywood, California, as the son of a golf professional and instructor, he attended the California Institute of the Arts. Later, he pursued golf at the University of Houston but shifted his focus back to art, graduating from the Glassell School of Art in Houston. His passion for golf remained, and he began to combine his interests by experimenting with golf club design. He learned from golf legends Jackie Burke and Jimmy Demaret, both Masters champions from Texas.
This led to the creation of the Texas Golf Co. and his innovative driver, the Texan.
“I pioneered the concept of putting loft degrees on clubs,” Wood stated. “This feature is now standard on every club you see in pro shops today.”
Wood and Langer first met at Riviera Country Club in 1984 and quickly bonded. Wood`s experience as a competitive player allowed him to connect with tour players on their level, setting him apart from other equipment representatives. In the absence of launch monitors, Wood relied on feedback from his golfer friends like Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman to refine his products. He was on the cutting edge of golf technology in a time before sophisticated precision tools.
According to Wood, Langer`s testing methods were exceptionally disciplined.
“Bernhard would instruct his caddie to go to the far end of the driving range, and they used a signal system,” Wood recounted. “It was truly German engineering at work. Based on how the ball landed and reacted, the caddie would signal back to Bernhard with hand gestures.”
Soon after, both Langer and Wood experienced career breakthroughs.
Demaret and Burke started directing players to Wood. Phil Mickelson and Ben Crenshaw became clients, including Mickelson`s use of the Texan driver as an amateur when he won his first PGA Tour event, the Tucson Open in 1991. In the early 90s, Wood crafted a driver for Langer as well.
In 1993, Wood was at Augusta from Sunday to Tuesday but then had to travel to Japan. There, at midnight, he watched his friend win the Masters using a club he had created.
“If he hadn`t won, I might have broken a Japanese television,” Wood joked.
He wanted to create a special memento for both himself and Langer to commemorate the achievement. Knowing Langer`s deep Christian faith and his careful speech, Wood decided to carve `The Last Supper` into a Texan driver.
“Leonardo da Vinci has always been a major inspiration to me,” Wood explained. “After Bernhard`s Augusta victory, this became my goal – the ultimate challenge.”
He spent six months working on the unique driver, tackling the challenges of persimmon wood`s porosity and creating an engraving that followed the driver head`s complex curves. Upon completion, eager to present it to Langer, he didn`t even think to photograph his creation.
So, when Wood received a text this week from a golf industry friend with a video featuring Langer highlighting the gift, he was astonished that Langer still valued it. It brought back three decades of memories, a life dedicated to golf, and now, the closing chapter with his old friend completing his final Masters.
“It looked exactly as I remembered,” Wood said from his home in Mexico. “It was touching to see that it still holds importance for him, that among all his victories and trophies, he cherishes this piece.”
Wood watched Langer play on Friday, noting his green slacks as a nod to his 1983 win. The crowd gave Langer standing ovations across the course. Wood saw him birdie the 12th, momentarily pulling even, as if Amen Corner might save him once more. However, Langer then faltered with a double bogey on the 15th and another bogey on the 18th.
“Coming up to the 18th, I had mixed feelings because I was still within the projected cut line. Even after my bogey, I wasn`t certain if I was out, as I thought 3-over might make the cut,” Langer explained.
Ultimately, he missed the cut by a single stroke, with a putt on the 18th lip out.
Knowing when to retire is especially challenging in golf. Langer is the most successful player in PGA Tour Champions history, consistently outperforming younger players well into his sixties. On the right day and course, he can still challenge competitors half his age or younger. The decision to stop can be postponed for a long time. For legendary athletes, choosing when to step away often becomes a matter of personal conviction.
Langer has maintained exceptional fitness despite an Achilles injury last year. He came incredibly close to becoming the oldest player to ever make a major cut, just shy of Sam Snead`s record at the 1979 PGA Championship, also at 67. However, Langer`s ambition was not just to play through the weekend.
“I want to be in contention,” Langer stated. “I want to be on the leaderboard, with a chance to win. On this course now, I don’t believe I can win anymore.”
Langer`s playing partner, amateur Noah Kent, averaged 322.6 yards off the tee during the tournament. Langer, in contrast, averaged 253.3 yards per drive. This put him at a disadvantage.
“I`m hitting such long irons into these greens, making it difficult to control ball placement,” Langer explained. “This course is designed for medium to short iron approaches. The greens are incredibly challenging.”
To compete, Langer had to strategically place his shots and rely on his short game, utilizing his 41 years of experience at Augusta National. He executed this strategy remarkably well. So well, in fact, that during his rounds, he questioned his decision to not return next year. But now, he affirms he is at peace with his choice.
After finishing the 18th hole, with his son Jason as his caddie, Langer was greeted by his wife, children, and grandchildren. “Many emotions went through my mind over the last two days as I walked the fairways,” he said. “Friends from around the world were walking with me for a few holes. It meant a great deal.” Dave Wood, his old friend in Mexico, understood this sentiment deeply. Wood`s `Last Supper` driver for Langer marked a significant end for him too.
“That was the last persimmon golf club I personally crafted,” Wood reflected. “I didn`t realize it at the time. But that`s life.”
Wood watched every shot of Langer’s round on Friday, noting it was the most invested he’d been in a golf round in years.
“This is it,” Wood concluded. “The end of our era.”
Masters announcer Jim Nantz, who has covered the tournament since 1989, called Langer “one of the greatest players in the history of this tournament.”
Langer himself reflected on his legacy in his final press conference after four decades. “How will they remember me? Hopefully, as a good golfer. But also, I hope, as a man of faith.”
