If bragging rights (and a big champion’s belt) are the ultimate prize at the PNC Championship, then Jason Langer couldn’t have gotten a bigger win Sunday.
That’s because it’s one thing to have bragging rights over families of the other major championship winners at the annual parent-child event in Orlando. It’s a completely different thing to have bragging rights over your siblings.
Jason, partnering with his two-time Masters winning and all-time PGA Tour Champions wins leading father Bernhard, put together a ridiculous final round 59 to storm back from three behind at the midway point to win the PNC Championship for a third time at 25 under.
“The goal was really to have fun,” Bernhard said. “This is a tournament about family and fun. Maybe if we play well, we might be in contention, that would be a bonus. So it all came together.”
After Bernhard collected two wins with Jason’s older brother Stefan — and has also competed a few times with daughters Christina and Jackie — Jason now has a leg up on his siblings with his third victory.
“I don’t get to play as much golf anymore, and I don’t get to see my parents and my family quite as much anymore,” Jason said. “To be able to play golf as a family and in a beautiful spot and great competition and play a really good golf course, it’s amazing.
“It’s always nice to have something on my older brother.”
The third victory also ties Raymond Floyd and Raymond Floyd Jr. for the most wins in the 26 years of the event as a team and Bernhard’s fifth overall win tied the elder Floyd for most wins as well.
The Langers entered the day three back of Matt Kuchar and son Cameron after they opened with a sizzling 57 in the two-player scramble format during persistent rain Saturday.
2023 PNC Championship purse: Payout info, winner’s share
However, the difference was quickly erased when Team Langer opened with seven birdies in a row in the final round as the Kuchars could only manage one in the first six holes and were all of a sudden four back at the turn.
The Langer run was mostly fueled by Jason, a former collegiate player at the University of Pennsylvania who is now an investment banker in New York. Bernhard didn’t have to hit a single putt until the eighth hole as Jason, who played in the New York State Amateur earlier this year, drained putts from everywhere.
“Watching him putt, it was unbelievable,” Bernhard said of his son. “The ball started on line every time, and if it missed, that’s because I misread the green. Otherwise, he probably would have made them all.”
David and Brady Duval eagled the final hole to secure solo second at 23 under with a 61 Sunday, the next-lowest score to the Langers on a day when winds gusted 30-35 mph. Only two other teams, including Tiger and Charlie Woods, shot below 63 Sunday. The Woods also posted a 61 to finish T5 at 19 under.
But if the Duval’s eagle, which at the time brought them within a shot of the Langers who were two holes behind, put any pressure on the leaders, it wasn’t evident. Right after it was posted, Jason made another 25-footer for birdie on 16.