US title win seals superb Open double for Bernhard Langer

BERNHARD Langer shot a final round three-under 67 and took advantage of Fred Couples' critical mistake to win the US Senior Open and complete a wonderful transatlantic double.

Coming off a victory at the Senior Open last week at Carnoustie, Langer finished at eight under for the tournament, fighting off jet lag and a partisan hometown crowd hoping Couples could pull out victory near where he grew up.

Just like a dozen years ago when the PGA Championship was played at Sahalee Country Club, it wasn't to be for Couples. Level with Langer starting the day, Couples birdied the opening hole before his undoing at the second, a par 5 and the easiest hole on the course. Couples hit his third shot into the greenside water and by the time he walked off with a triple bogey he was in chase mode. Langer didn't let him catch up.

Couples, who was runner-up at the Senior PGA Championship earlier this year, finished three shots off the pace after closing with an even-par 70. Olin Browne (65) and John Cook (67) shared third place at two under.

Langer became the first German player to win any US Golf Association championship and the first Champions Tour player to win back-to-back majors since Tom Watson took The Open and the JELD-WEN Tradition. But Watson didn't travel eight time zones and win his titles on consecutive weekends as Langer has done.

It was Langer's fourth Champions Tour title this year and he achieved it in Ryder Cup-style conditions, with the crowd urging on Couples with every step he took. However, match play is never as penalising as the second hole was to Couples.

The ever-cool Langer went without a bogey in 44 of his final 45 holes.