Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer tore an Achilles tendon playing pickleball, sidelining the all-time great senior player for at least three months and forcing him to miss the upcoming Masters tournament in April.
Langer, 66, told the "Musings on Golf" podcast that he was playing the increasingly popular racket sport "to stay fit" in February when he heard a "pop."
“I play all sorts of sports to stay fit, and this was part of my fitness regime,” Langer said on the podcast, which dropped Tuesday. “I was playing pickleball here in Woodfield [Florida], where I live and have a lot of fun, and, just, 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 gunshot."
Pickleball, which has become one of the country's fastest-growing activities, is particularly popular among senior citizens.
It resembles tennis but is played on a much smaller court, minimizing lower body movements and endurance while pushing players to maintain strong hand-eye coordination.
"And I knew right away it was a torn Achilles, because I had seen it happen to other people playing basketball and other sports," said Langer, who has a record 46 wins on the PGA Tour Champions circuit — formerly known as the Senior PGA Tour.
Langer had announced that this year's Masters, where he donned green jackets in 1985 and 1993, would be his last.
Although he'll miss this year's tournament in Augusta, Georgia, he promised to attend the Champions Dinner, a beloved Masters tradition served on Tuesday of tournament week.
"It's one of the highlights of my year. I always look forward to the Champions Dinner just because of the aura being in the presence of some of the greatest players," he said.
"To spend two or three hours with these guys in a very intimate setting is very unique. Obviously the great food and the good wine and all of that doesn't hurt, either," he said.
Langer said he went under the knife 24 hours after the injury and was rehabbing three days later.
After four weeks of rehabilitation, Langer told the podcast, he's optimistic for a speedy recovery. He ambitiously targeted the Insperity Invitational, played near Houston on May 3-5, for his return to the tour.
"Things are looking up," he said. "I'm feeling great. I'm making progress. Yesterday was the first time I walked around without crutches, without a scooter, on my own without holding on to anything, which was very exciting."
