Why Langer is the 500/1 shot who could upset the odds at Carnoustie

“I don’t really know how that is possible or how they do it but that’s not my job. My job is to perform on the golf course and this piece helps me do that.”

The best nuggets often come when you least expect them. I was on the Titleist tour truck waiting to chat to their fitter Liam McDougall about the new TS2 and TS3 drivers.

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I randomly found myself having a chat with Bernhard Langer’s caddie, Terry Holt, who’d come in to ask for some help tweaking his man’s irons and wedges.

While we were both waiting, I asked him what sort of a week they were expecting.

Holt explained how Langer has arguably as good a chance as anyone this week due to the fact he has played more tournament golf, and had success,at Carnoustie, than any other player in the field.

He won the Senior Open here in 2010 and finished in the top 10 in 2016.

Langer has been unstoppable on the senior tour since turning 50 but has struggled to compete with the bombers in his major appearances.

“This week he’ll be able to hit irons into par-5s rather than having to hit hybrids into par-4s,” Holt explained.

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“The senior tour is what he focusses on now but he still wants to compete.

“We saw it with Tom Watson (2nd at Turnberry in 2009) and I think it’s only a matter of time before someone over the age of 50 wins the Open.

“If it is going to happen it will be during a week like this one where the course doesn’t offer such a big advantage to the big hitters.”

Holt had popped on to the Titleist truck to get some of the lead tapping on the back of his 10-year-old Adams irons tweaked.

He wanted more of the weight on his eight iron moved nearer to the heel to help him hit a fade.

So it’s clear that Langer is not here this week to simply make up the numbers.

If you fancy a punt, the German can be backed at around 500/1…

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