Bernhard Langer makes another Masters cut

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Bernhard Langer, of Germany, waves after putting on the second hole during the second round for the Masters golf tournament Friday, April 12, 2019, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bernhard Langer might not hit them as far as he once did, but his accuracy sure goes a long way.

The 61-year-old former Masters champion (1985, 1993) kept himself in line to make Friday’s cut and will be the oldest player on the weekend with an even-par 72 for a 1-under total.

“I’m 40 yards behind everybody,” Langer said. “If you hit it short, you’d better hit it straight, right? Short and crooked would be pretty bad.”

Photos: 2019 Masters Round 2

The Anhausen, Germany, native was treading near the cut line with a 2-over total and only five holes remaining. But he birdied three of those, Nos. 14, 15 and 18. He also had birdied the first hole, a trouble spot during the past few years. He had bogeyed it four times in his last 10 rounds.

“It got off to a nice start,” Langer said, “birdied the first hole, which is usually a tough hole for me. Then I ran into a few bogeys.”

The most frustrating was maybe at No. 10, when Langer three-putted from more than 70 feet.

“I just don’t feel like my long putts are as good as they could be,” he said.

Langer is playing in his 36th Masters, the first coming in 1982, but will be around for the final two days for the 26th time.

“Is that all?” he said. “I had a nice run there, 17 in a row, I think.”

Actually, it was better than that. Nineteen straight from 1984 to 2002.

For most of Friday’s round, Langer was out-distanced on approach shots by 23-year-old Alvaro Ortiz of Mexico and 28-year-old Matt Wallace of England. Ortiz, the Latin America Amateur champion, shot 71 and is at even-par. Wallace shot 77, unable to take advantage of his length, and got so upset at one point that he tried to slam a pitching wedge into this bag. He missed that, too.

Langer made up for his disadvantages with experience.

“Experience helps,” he said. “But it doesn’t make up for hitting five more clubs into every green than somebody else, you know? I’m hitting a 4-iron and they’re hitting a 9-iron. I would rather hit a 9-iron and have a little less experience.”