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Posted April 12, 2013, 5:30 pm
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Bernhard Langer, 55, thinks he can contend

Two-time Master champ's typical accuracy leads to another 71
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    Bernhard Langer, 55, thinks he can contend
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    Bernhard Langer waves to the crowd on #2 during the second round of the 77th Masters Tournament.

Bernhard Langer has a sterling résumé at Augusta National Golf Club, including a pair of green jackets and a run of 19 made cuts in a row that ended in 2003.

Fans remember the glory days for the German star, who won the Masters in 1985 and 1993 – but the going has been rough at Augusta recently for the 55-year-old, who hadn’t made a cut since 2005.

Langer turned back the clock Friday, firing his second consecutive 1-under-par 71.

“I’m pretty happy with the way I played,” said Langer, who is competing in his 30th Masters. “I have a different attitude this year. I’m trying to win, trying to be on the leaderboard, and not just trying to scrape in and make the cut. So far, so good.”

Langer can’t drive the ball out there with the youngsters – he ranked 70th in driving distance at 281 yards after his round.

But he has made up for it with his accuracy – hitting 25 of 28 fairways (89 percent), which was the highest percentage in the field at the end of his round.

 

Langer said he was a bit tired after walking the course, but said he felt the same way after playing Augusta in his prime. A fitness buff, Langer said he still weighs 165 pounds, about the same as he did 20 years ago.

After bogeying the first hole, Langer came back strong with an eagle on the 575-yard, par-5 second.

He cooled down with bogeys on the next two holes, plus a bogey at No. 7, but birdied No. 8 and made the turn in 37.

Langer was steady and patient on the back nine. He birdied the par-4 14th, and had another birdie at the par-3 16th – with pars on every other hole.

“It feels great, I don’t think there’s a whole lot of players that make the cut at age 55,” Langer said. “But again, I would like to contend and not just make the cut. We’ll see what the weekend holds.”

Langer said he hasn’t thought about when his last Masters appearance will be.

“I’m still playing good golf, good enough to compete on long courses,” said Langer, who has 17 wins on the Champions Tour. “If I start shooting 80 or miss the cut by 20, then it will be time to call it quits. But I don’t know yet when that will be.”