Bernhard Langer acknowledged "it is time to quit" as the two-time Masters winner prepares for his "bittersweet" swansong at Augusta National. (More Sports News)
The 67-year-old will make his 41st and final appearance this week at the major, where he donned the green jacket in 1985 and 1993.
Langer was only the third non-American winner of the Masters at the time of his initial triumph at only his third attempt, after Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros.
The former Ryder Cup captain went on to make the cut 27 times in his 40 appearances, while recording nine top-10 finishes along the way.
"It's been an incredible journey, for a young man born in a village of 800 people [Bavaria,바카라 웹사이트Germany], where golf was nothing, to make it here," he said.
"To get an invitation to play the Masters when it was extremely difficult for European or international players to get one, and then to win the Masters on the third go was just a dream come true.
"After four decades, it's going to be bittersweet. When I'm inside the ropes, my mind switches to being a competitor:바카라 웹사이트play golf and take care of the task in front of me.
"But I might get a bit emotional looking around, seeing my family, my kids, my grandkids, my brother and other friends that are going to be supporting me this week.
"I love the Masters more than any tournament in the world. I'm expecting it to be very difficult emotionally."
While he continues to thrive on the PGA Tour Champions - on which he has won 47 titles including 12 majors - Langer concedes바카라 웹사이트he is no longer able to compete at Augusta, where he has missed the cut in each of his last three appearances.
"The course is just getting too long, and I'm getting shorter and shorter," he added.바카라 웹사이트"I'm hitting hybrids [into greens] where the other kids are hitting nine-irons, maybe even wedges. So, I knew I wasn't going to be in contention any more.
"A few years back, I asked the chairman of the club:바카라 웹사이트'Is there a time limit? Do we age out when we're 60?'. He said:바카라 웹사이트'No, you will know when it's time to quit, it's totally up to you'.바카라 웹사이트It is time to quit."
