By ,
Published February 05, 2015
The Woodlands, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Bernhard Langer bogeyed two of the last three holes in windy conditions on Sunday, but managed to hang on and win the Insperity Invitational.
Langer, who won this title for a third time and earned his 20th Champions Tour crown, managed a 1-under 71 in the final round to end at 11-under-par 205. He became the 10th Champions Tour player with 20 career victories on the senior circuit.
"It's very special. As you said, there's only been, what, 10 guys to do it and I'm hoping to add to that number. I hope I'm not done. I'm very blessed to have won 20 times in six and a half years," said Langer. "It's been a great run and a wonderful achievement. I just feel like I'm playing some of my best golf in my career."
Fred Couples, the 2010 winner, fired a 5-under 67, but he also bogeyed the 18th to end one back at minus-10 on the Tournament Course at The Woodlands Country Club.
Colin Montgomerie took third at minus-9 after a final-round 70. Last year's champion Esteban Toledo shot 71 for the second straight day and finished in fourth at 7-under 209.
Jay Haas, the 2006 winner, posted a 70 on Sunday to join Tom Pernice, Jr. (71) in fifth at minus-6.
Langer, the 2007 and 2008 winner, got off to a quick start with birdies on one and three. Back-to-back birdies at six and seven pushed Langer's lead to five over Bart Bryant.
The German stumbled to a bogey on the eighth, but he was still five clear of the field.
Couples, who was two groups ahead of Langer, made his move as Langer reeled off seven consecutive pars from the ninth. Couples had an eagle, a double bogey, a bogey and two birdies on the front nine.
Around the turn, he started to make his move with a birdie on the 10th. That got him to 7-under. Couples converted four consecutive birdie chances from the 12th to soar to minus-11, where he was two back.
Langer's run of pars ended at the 16th, where he tripped to a bogey. That trimmed his lead to one. But Couples bogeyed the last to walk off the course two behind.
Langer also made bogey on No. 18 to win by one.
"Freddie played very well there on the back side, made a bunch of birdies. He came on pretty strong until the last hole when he bogeyed and that made it a little bit easier for me to play 18 with a two-shot lead," Langer said.
NOTES: Langer, who earned $300,000 for the win, became the first three-time winner of this event ... Montgomerie has six top-10 finishes in six Champions Tour starts this year ... The tour is off next week, but returns to action in two weeks with its first major, the Regions Tradition, where David Frost beat Couples by one shot last year.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/langer-barely-wins-insperity-invitational