Bernhard Langer Top 5s Senior Open Just Months After Painful Surgery

Bernhard Langer did the unthinkable this past weekend after he placed inside the Top 5 at the Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie just months after he was forced to have a painful Achilles surgery.

Less than six months ago, Langer ruptured his Achilles tendon while playing pickleball in Florida. A surgery just a few months later sidelined Langer from various tournaments, including The Masters, where he is lifetime exempt because of his two victories in 1985 and 1993.

Keeping an active lifestyle is one focus of Langer’s, who detailed his injury earlier this year:

“So I played pickleball with some of my friends. My opponent lobbed me, and I did a few steps back, jumped up, and hit it, and as I landed, I heard this loud noise and pain in my leg. I went down on the ground, and at first, I thought I hit something walking backwards, but as I looked around, there was nothing there, and I realized most likely it was a torn Achilles tendon.”

Bernhard Langer Makes CRAZY Recovery from Torn Achilles, Returns to Competition

He said he drew inspiration from Aaron Rodgers, who had a similar injury and was able to return to football activities shortly after surgery.

Langer was also forced to walk all 72 holes this past weekend, as the R&A declined his request to use a cart for competitive play.

According to Golf Digest, the R&A's reasoning was that he had walked a golf course within the past 12 months. Paul Broadhurst, John Daly, Vijay Singh, and Tim Herron also requested carts, with Herron being the only player to receive permission.

Langer played a great tournament and managed to capture a T5 finish at -2. He required some assistance during the tournament, he said, getting treatment from a doctor this past weekend:

"I have had my doctor help me. He's helping me mobilize my foot and ankle, giving me massages and stretches and all that, and putting some tape on it."

It is reminiscent of the type of treatment Tiger Woods goes through on the PGA TOUR as he still attempts to remain competitive.

Nevertheless, what Langer did this past weekend is incredible.

Cover Image via SBNation