Bernhard Langer was planning to make the 2024 Masters his final go-round at Augusta National, but the two-time champion will instead have to postpone that opportunity for a year as he recovers from tearing his Achilles tendon.
What caused the Achilles tear? Turns out, it was pickleball.
Speaking to the "Musings on Golf" podcast with Bob Bubka, Langer shared that his initial explanation of a "training exercise" injury wasn't quite accurate.
"I play all sorts of sports to stay fit, and this was part of my fitness regime," Langer said. "I was playing pickleball and somebody was trying to lob me. I did a few steps backward and hit an overhead, and as I landed on the ground with my feet I heard this huge pop, very loud, like a gun shot. I knew right away it was a torn Achilles."
Langer had surgery the next day to repair the tear, but the injury forced him to miss a title defense in the PGA Tour Champions' Chubb Classic near his home in Boca Raton, Fla. He also will have to miss the 2024 Masters, though he has a lifetime exemption as a two-time champion.
The German did say he would be at Augusta National to participate in the annual Champions Dinner, and he'll also take part in other activities around the tournament.
Langer hopes to return to golf in the Houston area for the PGA Tour Champions' Insperity Invitational from May 3-5. He hopes that will allow him a return start before the kick off of five major championships played on the 50-plus tour's schedule. The week after the Insperity Invitational is the Regions Tradition. He will also look to compete in the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst No. 2, gaining entry as the reigning US Senior Open champion.
