Langer wants to play on

Bernhard Langer today insisted becoming Europe’s Ryder Cup captain did not spell the end of his playing career.

Langer was confirmed as the successor to Sam Torrance last week after 10 appearances as a player, one short of Nick Faldo’s record.

And the veteran German intends following Torrance onto the lucrative Seniors Tour in America, but only after remaining competitive for a few years to come on the main tours in Europe and the United States.

“I’m not 100% sure how much of my time will be necessary to be devoted to the Ryder Cup issues because it’s my first time,” Langer said.

“It will be a new challenge but hopefully I can still focus on my golf game as well and still have some time for my family. I don’t envisage this to be taking over my life the next few months.

“It’s going to be maybe stressful the last few weeks closer to the Ryder Cup but I don’t think it will take up 50% of my time in the next 10 months. I’m not going to let that happen.

“If I am healthy and still enjoying my game I plan to play on the Seniors Tour so this is not the end of my career. I had a very good year in 2001, a very good last four or five months last year so I think there is still some life left in this body.

“I haven’t been playing great this year but I’m not planning to quit my career. I love golf, I love to compete and I look forward to the Seniors Tour.

“I think it would be fun to hopefully win tournaments again and try to stay fit and healthy and still stay competitive for the next few years. I’m going to be 46 in August and I still plan to compete for the next three or four years on the regular tour and then hopefully do well on the Seniors Tour.”

Langer, in Malmo preparing for the Scandic Carlsberg Scandinavian Masters which gets underway on Thursday, has played under five different captains since his Ryder Cup debut in 1981.

And the 45-year-old, who was undefeated in winning three-and-a-half points at the Belfry last September, plans to use a blend of all their expertise and experience when he leads the European team in defence of the trophy at Oakland Hills from September 17-19 next year.

Except perhaps, the manic buggy driving and intrusive shot advice favoured by Seve Ballesteros at Valderrama in 1997!

“All five captains were a little different,” added Langer whose wife Vikki is American and who is based in Boca Raton, Florida. “John Jacobs I don’t remember very much because it was my first Ryder Cup, I was very young and wet behind the ears and didn’t say a lot, just sat in a quiet corner and listened.

“He was very positive though and I have to say that about all of them. They all had a different style of being just the way they are.

“Seve is different to what I am and so is Sam, Tony, and Bernard Gallacher and what I plan to do is write down a list of what I think each one of them did very well and try and incorporate that into my style of captaincy and use the good things and not the bad things if there were any.

“I will be driving round the course, I’m not sure I will be driving like Seve! I’m not going to try to hit anybody’s shots because I think the players are good enough to do that themselves but I will certainly be out there watching and advising if at all possible or necessary.

“I might be more calm and collected than certainly Seve and maybe one or two others but we still plan on having some fun in the team room.

“I try to be very positive, make them believe they can win and my main job I believe is to take away all the pressure from the players by making sure they can focus on their game and don’t have to worry about other little details. I need to take care of everything else so they can concentrate on what they need to do.”

Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson is favourite to become the first home winner of the event since Jesper Parnevik in 1998 as it returns to the Barseback course in Malmo which will also host this year’s Solheim Cup.

Jacobson has enjoyed a stunning season so far, winning twice in Europe and finishing fifth on his US Open debut and sixth in the Open championship at Royal St George’s.

The 28-year-old currently lies eighth on the Order of Merit and at 30th is the highest player in the world rankings.

Next on the world rankings at 43 is last week’s winner Michael Campbell, the Kiwi ending a nightmare run of form this season with his play-off win at Portmarnock over Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn and another Swede, Peter Hedblom.