Langer still in hunt in Munich

Retief Goosen would not be his first choice as somebody to try to catch, but Bernhard Langer has another chance this weekend to become the oldest champion in European Tour history.

Leading money-winner on the American Champions Tour, just as he was last season, the 51-year-old German has returned for the BMW International Open in Munich and went into today’s third round in joint eighth place.

Twice Masters champion Langer has four strokes to make up on twice US Open champion Goosen, but one thing is for sure – nobody will be trying harder.

Irishman Des Smyth became the Tour’s oldest winner when he captured the 2001 Madeira Islands Open just after his 48th birthday.

Langer very nearly took that record two years ago on the same Nord Eichenried course where he is now competing.

On that occasion he hit back from an opening 76 to make the cut with nothing to spare and then climbed all the way to second place, but finished two behind Swede Niclas Fasth.

It was the fifth time he had been a runner-up in the one Tour event in Germany that he has never won.

This time he has started with two rounds of 68, out-scoring 20-year-old playing partner Rory McIlroy by two and new German star Martin Kaymer by seven shots.

Defending champion Kaymer missed the cut, but Langer stated: “The future of the Tour is in good hands. It’s wonderful to see how much talent we have – and what a wonderful swing Rory has.

“It would mean a lot to win so close to where I grew up, but there are still two days to go and I am focusing on one shot at a time.”

Once his second round was over yesterday, however, Langer did turn his mind to something else – Germany’s bid to host the 2018 Ryder Cup.

His experience is being used to identify which of six candidate courses should go forward to challenge France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

The decision is not expected to be taken by Europe’s Ryder Cup Committee until 2011 and Langer commented: “I think all the countries are very capable of presenting a strong case and we have to do the best we can to make the best possible bid.

“If we can do that I would like to think that we might get the nod because I’ve been involved in the Ryder Cup 10 times as a player and once as captain.”

Just as the awarding of the 1997 match to Spain was seen as reward for Seve Ballesteros’ contribution Langer adds: “I’ve been one of the leading, dominant players for a number of years and obviously I’ve got a lot back from golf, but I’ve also given a lot.”

Ballesteros, of course, was captain at Valderrama.

Langer did it successfully as well in Detroit in 2004 and would be 61 come the 2018 contest.

Nick Faldo was 51 last September and with Europe deciding to go for a younger man – Colin Montgomerie – for next year’s match in Wales there seems little prospect of Langer being asked to do it again if Germany are chosen to stage the contest.

But on that he said: “If they think I am still mentally with it and I haven’t lost my marbles and I’m still capable of communicating and doing a good job then maybe so.

“Why do you think I’m in the fitness room all the time?”