AUGUSTA, Ga. — Bernhard Langer`s journey to faith began around Amen Corner.
In 1985, the German golfer secured his first Masters victory at Augusta National. During the post-win interview, he used inappropriate language but later found religion at a Bible study. In 1993, his second Masters win occurred on Easter Sunday, at a significant place in American golf history.
`This tournament held a deeper spiritual meaning for me than many realize,` Langer, now 67, reflected on Friday.
His words were in the past tense because a missed shot meant he wouldn`t make the cut in his 41st and final Masters as a player in the competition.
Langer`s walk off the 18th green on Friday marked the end of an era in Masters history. His initial victory as a 27-year-old from a small village made him only the third international champion, following Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros. He added a second win eight years later, in 1993. He achieved seven top-10 finishes, even one in 2014, and impressively finished under par as recently as 2020, tying for 29th place.
Langer`s enduring career spanned a significant shift in golf equipment. He remains the last major winner to use a persimmon wood driver.
While John Daly adopted a Kevlar-headed driver in 1991 and Jose Maria Olazabal used a large metal driver in his 1994 Masters win, Langer`s older style inspired nostalgia. As part of his Augusta farewell, the Champions Tour showcased a video of Langer presenting the Texan driver he used to win 32 years prior, made by the Texas Golf Co. He then revealed his most cherished club, a unique gift inspired by his victory.
`They presented me with a special gift,` Langer explained. `The owner personally painted this for me. It`s one of their drivers depicting `The Last Supper,` with Jesus and the twelve disciples. It`s hand-carved and truly unique.`
Dave Wood, nearly 2,000 miles away in Jalisco, Mexico, was amazed.
Wood is a multifaceted individual. Growing up in Hollywood as the son of a golf professional, he studied at the California Institute of the Arts. He briefly played golf at the University of Houston before focusing on art, graduating from the Glassell School of Art. His golf skill and artistic interests merged when he began experimenting with club design. He found mentors in golf legends Jackie Burke and Jimmy Demaret, both Masters champions.
This led to the creation of the Texas Golf Co. and his innovative Texan driver.
`My company was the first to include loft degrees on clubs,` Wood stated. `This is now standard in pro shops.`
Wood and Langer met in 1984. Wood, a competitive golfer himself, understood players` needs. Without modern launch monitors, he relied on feedback from players like Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman to refine his designs. He pioneered precision in club design before advanced technology became available.
He noted Langer’s particularly rigorous testing methods.
`Bernhard would have his caddie at the range end with a signal system,` Wood recalled. `It was true German precision. The caddie would signal back to Bernhard based on the ball`s landing and roll.`
Soon, both their careers flourished.
Demaret and Burke recommended Wood to other players. Phil Mickelson and Ben Crenshaw began using his clubs, including the Texan that Mickelson used to win his first PGA Tour event as an amateur in 1991. In the early 90s, Wood made a club for Langer as well.
In 1993, Wood was at Augusta early in the week but had to travel to Japan. There, at midnight, he watched his friend win the Masters using a club he had crafted.
`If he had lost, I might have broken a TV,` Wood joked.
He wanted to create a meaningful piece for Langer to commemorate the victory. Knowing Langer`s deep Christian faith, he decided to carve `The Last Supper` onto a Texan driver.
`Leonardo da Vinci has always inspired me,` Wood said. `After Bernhard`s Augusta win, this became my goal, my ultimate challenge.`
He spent six months working on the driver, overcoming the challenges of carving persimmon wood. Upon completion, he was so eager to gift it to Langer that he forgot to photograph it.
This week, a video featuring Langer showcasing the gift, sent by a golf industry friend, surprised Wood. Langer`s highlighting of the driver evoked three decades of memories and the closing of an era with his friend`s final Masters.
`It looked exactly as I remembered,` Wood said from Mexico, `It`s touching that it remains important to him, among all his achievements.`
Wood watched Langer`s final round, noting his green slacks as a nod to his 1985 win. The crowd`s standing ovations accompanied him across the course. Langer`s birdie on the 12th briefly raised hopes, but a double bogey on 15 and another bogey on 18 altered his fate.
`Approaching the 18th, I felt mixed emotions, still near the cut line. Even after a bogey, I wasn`t sure if I was out, thinking 3-over might be enough,` Langer said.
He missed the cut by a single shot, his putt on 18 narrowly missing.
Knowing when to retire is especially challenging in golf. Langer`s record on the PGA Tour Champions is unmatched, dominating well into his 60s. He can still compete with younger players on favorable days. For legends, retirement is a matter of personal conviction.
Despite an Achilles injury, Langer remained in excellent condition and nearly became the oldest player to make a major cut, just missing Sam Snead`s record from 1979. However, Langer`s goal was not merely to play the weekend.
`I want to be in contention, on the leaderboard, with a chance to win. On this course, I no longer feel I can win,` Langer admitted.
Langer`s playing partner, Noah Kent, averaged significantly longer drives. Langer recognized the disadvantage.
`I`m using longer clubs into greens, making it hard to control the ball. This course favors shorter iron shots due to the challenging greens.`
To compete, Langer relied on precision and his vast experience at Augusta. His performance made him question his decision to retire, yet he now feels at peace with it.
After his round, Langer greeted his family, expressing the emotions of his final Masters. The support from friends worldwide meant a great deal. For Dave Wood, Langer`s `Last Supper` driver also symbolized a personal closing chapter.
`That was the last persimmon club I ever made personally,` Wood reflected. `I didn`t realize it then. That`s life.`
Wood watched Langer`s final round with intense emotion, feeling deeply invested.
`This is it,` Wood concluded, `The end of our era.`
Masters announcer Jim Nantz acknowledged Langer as `one of the greatest in the tournament`s history.`
Langer himself considered his legacy: `How will I be remembered? I hope as a good golfer, but more importantly, as a man of faith.`
Jasper Hawthorne