8am Round-Up: Bernhard Langer matches Jack Nicklaus' record

Bernhard Langer shows no signs whatsoever of letting up after matching Jack Nicklaus' record of eight wins in Senior majors.
Bernhard Langer celebrates his successful title defence in the Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Alabama.  Picture: Butch DillBernhard Langer celebrates his successful title defence in the Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Alabama.  Picture: Butch Dill
Bernhard Langer celebrates his successful title defence in the Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Alabama. Picture: Butch Dill

The 59-year-old achieved the notable feat by defending the Ragions Tradition title with a five-stroke victory in Birmingham, Alabama.

Langer had started the final round two strokes behind leader Fred Funk before storming to the top of the leaderboard on the back of a brilliant 64.

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He finished with a 20-under-par 268 total, with Scott McCarron (69) and Scott Parel (70) sharing second spot as Funk slipped to joint-fourth after a 72.

“Yeah, that’s pretty neat,” said Langer. “Not many people can say they match Jack Nicklaus in anything.

“To have won as many majors on this Tour as he has is outstanding. Obviously and a thrill for me.”

Langer has now won 31 times on the Champions Tour and this is the sixth straight year he has eclipsed $1 million in winnings.

Colin Montgomerie finished joint-25th on seven-under, with Sandy Lyle sharing 57th position on four-over.

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Billy Horschel claimed his fourth PGA Tour title by winning the AT&T Byron Nelson after gettingthe better of Jason Day in a play-off.

After both men finished locked on 12 under they had to play an extra hole and Horschel was victorious after Day missed a four-foot putt for par on the 18th.

It is first tournament win since 2014 and stops a rot after missing the cut at his previous four tournaments.

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Horschel began the day a shot behind overnight leader John Hahn and battled through a tough round, making a one-under-par 69, which included a mammoth 60-foot putt for birdie on the 14th.

“This is the most emotional of all the four,” he told Sky Sports. “The other three I was playing well going into them and this one I wasn’t, I can’t lie, I didn’t have any success.”

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American Lexi Thompson secured a first win of the season by decimating her rivals at the LPGA Kingsmill Championship in Williamsburg, Virginia.

The 22-year-old signed off with a a 65 as she carded a tournament record 20-under 264 total to finish five shots ahead of South Korea’s In Gee Chun.

Thompson was playing in her third event since a devastating defeat at the ANA Inspiration, when she was hit with a four-shot penalty for a rules infringement and eventually lost in a play-off in the year’s first major.

Lydia Ko held on to her world No 1 spot for the 83rd week running despite finishing 13 shots behind Thompson in joint-10th.

The Kiwi could be overtaken, though, in the coming weeks as she is set to miss the LPGA Tour’s next two events in Michigan and New Jersey.

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German Stephan Jaeger claimed his second Web.com Tour triumph with a one-shot win in the weather-hit BMW Charity Pro-Am in South Carolina.

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The 27-year-old, who once shot a record 58 on the PGA Tour’s development circuit, closed with a 65 for a 19-under-par 195 total for 64 holes.

Dornoch man Jimmy Gunn missed out on a pay-day as he finished on seven-under.

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Cruden Bay’s Stephen Roger finished as leading Scot in joint-fifth in the Welsh Open Stroke Play Championship at The Vale Resort, close to Cardiff.

In an event won by Englishman Gian-Marco Petrozzi, Roger shot rounds of 75-69-72-76 for a level-par 292 aggregate.

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Kilmacolm’s Eilidh Briggs fired scores of 71 and 68 for a two-shot victory in the Munross Trophy at Montrose.

Briggs’ five-under-par afternoon score was a brilliant effort on the Montrose Medal course.