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At the beginning of the year, Bernhard Langer had conceded that at 66 years old, he would participate in his 41st and final Masters in 2024. But things didn’t go as planned. The German tore his Achilles tendon in February, as he announced in a statement.
Langer, statements
“Yesterday, during training exercises in Boca Raton, I tore my Achilles tendon. I will undergo surgery today to repair the injury, which will keep me away from tournaments during my recovery.” Part of Pickleball The golfer with two green jackets revealed a bit more about the reasons for his injury, and it’s quite unexpected.
It turns out that these “training exercises” were actually a game of Pickleball! Never heard of it? It’s a sport played with small square paddles, similar to tennis. “I play many sports, it’s part of my fitness program,” said the winner of the 1984 French Open at Saint-Cloud in the Musings on Golf podcast.
“I was playing pickleball and someone tried to lob me. I took a few steps back and hit a shot over my head. When I landed on the ground with my feet, I heard a huge ‘pop,’ very loud, like a gunshot. I immediately knew it was a torn Achilles tendon.” So it wasn’t the time and the many tournaments played that got the 66-year-old German, who broke the record for career victories on the PGA Tour Champions last year.
But a simple jump with a racket in hand. He’s not the only one to have experienced embarrassing injuries. Let’s mention Dustin Johnson, who missed the Masters after slipping on stairs, Jim Furyk, who injured himself while brushing his teeth, or Thomas Levet who fractured his right fibula while jumping into the pond on the 18th hole of the Golf National while celebrating his victory at the 2011 French Open.
A hoped-for comeback However, this injury should not mark the end of Bernhard Langer’s career. The man, known for his exceptional physical condition, explained that he would return to the golf course in May. However, he did not mention whether he would participate in the Masters again in 2025…
