BRIDGEND, Wales  — Bernhard Langer won his second Senior British Open championship on Sunday, finishing a record 13 strokes clear of Colin Montgomerie of Scotland.

The German added a closing 4-under 67 Sunday at sunny Royal Porthcawl to his earlier rounds of 65-66-68 for an 18-under 266.

Langer’s 13-stroke win is the largest margin of victory in a senior major, beating Hale Irwin’s 12-stroke win in the Senior PGA Championship in 1997, while he almost doubled Bob Charles’ record of seven strokes in the British event, set at Turnberry back in 1989.

Montgomerie shot 2-under 69 to finish at 5-under 279 after starting with a share of seventh place.

Tom Pernice Jr. of the United States, Barry Lane of England and Rick Gibson of Canada were three further shots back, tied for third on 2-under 282.

“The golf course is unbelievably tough,” Langer said. “To have this weather for four days is unreal, it’s like playing in Florida with a bit of wind.

“The secret was I didn’t make too many mistakes and my driver was very good and my long putting was excellent, although not quite today as I was lacking a little. Perhaps my lead was too big.”

While the stiff breeze sent many scores soaring, Langer displayed the same immaculate control that saw him lead throughout, going into the final day eight strokes ahead of Gibson.

At the turn Langer had stretched his lead to 13, going out in 3-under 32 to Gibson’s 2-over 37.

Langer birdied both the second, when he holed from eight feet, and the third from five feet. He dropped a shot at the fourth when his approach only reached the front edge and he putted up to three feet and missed.

He left his eagle putt at the long sixth on the lip, then bagged his fourth birdie at the seventh. He moved 14 clear when Gibson had a bogey at the 10th, but then Langer missed his par putt at 11, in what was only his fifth bogey of the week.

Langer claimed his fifth birdie of the day at the short No. 12, then posted five straight pars before finding the final green in two and two-putting for a closing birdie, his 23rd of the tournament.

Montgomerie’s closing 69 saw him win what he called “the other competition.” He dropped two strokes early on but then birdied the sixth and eighth to be level at the turn. He parred seven holes on the run from Nos. 9 through 16 before birdies at the last two to move clear of the rest of the chasers.

Gibson, second overnight, struggled on the final day, closing with a 4-over 75 while Pernice and Lane shot 70 and 72 respectively.

Americans Bob Tway (76) and Scott Dunlap (75) shared sixth place on level par 284, one ahead of Argentina’s Miguel Angel Jimenez (68) and Kirk Triplett (70) of the United States.

Tom Watson and Fred Couples struggled on the final day. Watson posted a 6-over 77 with fellow American Couples one worse, to finish on 286 and 288 respectively.

Watson finished in a share of 10th alongside countryman Russ Cochran. Couples was tied for 13th.

Also representing Canada on the field was Rod Spittle who claimed a 21st place finish carding 70 in the final round, and 291 for the tournament.

BRIDGEND, Wales  — Bernhard Langer has a seven-stroke cushion to take into the third round of the Senior British Open after shooting a 5-under 66 Friday to add to his opening 65.

The German is on 11-under 131 overall at a sunny Royal Porthcawl with Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie and South African-based Englishman Chris Williams tied for second on 4-under 138.

Montgomerie shot 66 while Williams added a 70 to his opening 68.

Spaniard Pedro Linhart (69) was a further shot back in fourth, while Americans Bob Tway (73) and Tom Watson (66) shared fifth on 2-under 140.

Watson had a faultless round of 66 with three birdies, an eagle at the 18th and no dropped shots.

Langer was beaten in a playoff by Mark Wiebe of the United States in last year’s championship at Royal Birkdale after blowing a two-stroke lead on the final hole when he failed to get out of a greenside bunker.

“It still hurts when I think about it,” Langer said. “If you put me in that situation a hundred times, I think I would win 98 or 99.”

Langer started with a bogey five at the opening hole when he pulled a 4-iron into a bad lie, hit his second over the green and didn’t get up and down.

He recovered with three straight birdies from the fourth, hitting a sand-wedge to six feet, a 3-iron to seven feet and chipped his third to three feet on the par-five sixth and sank it.

Two more birdies came at Nos. 11 and 12, he saved his par at the 14th with a 15-foot putt, then hit a drive and a 5-iron to 10 feet at the 18th and just missed his eagle attempt.

“I played very aggressive and smart today,” said Langer, who was champion at Carnoustie in 2010. “I missed a couple of opportunities early on but I’m very pleased overall. Playing good golf on a great course is a lot of fun. But you have to be very careful, very smart and hopefully execute properly.”

Montgomerie hit back from dropping strokes at the first two holes to post six birdies in the next seven, including five on the run from the fifth, for 31 on the first nine holes. He then got two more on the way and just one dropped shot.

Despite the impressive round, he wasn’t hopeful.

“I’ve got a massive mountain to climb to catch Bernhard,” admitted Montgomerie.

Tway, only two behind Langer overnight, got to 5 under with a birdie at the sixth, but then slipped to level par before closing with two birdies.

Fred Couples had to settle for a par 71, while Tom Pernice Jr. came back from an opening 78 to bag eight birdies and drop just one shot for 64 and the best round of the tournament so far.

Wiebe, playing with Langer, made an early exit after shooting 77 for an 11-over 153 – some 22 strokes worse than the man he beat last year.

BRIDGEND, Wales  — Bernhard Langer made a statement of intent when he opened with a 6-under-par 65 to take a two-stroke lead over American Bob Tway in the British Senior Open at a sweltering Royal Porthcawl on Thursday.

Langer, who threw away a two-stroke lead on the final hole at Royal Birkdale last year and then was beaten for the title in a playoff, was out in a best-of-the-day 31.

He birdied the third, fourth, sixth and eighth holes, and went 5 under when he birdied the long 13th. He dropped a shot at the 16th but then hit back immediately with birdies at the two closing holes.

“Six under is very satisfying,” Langer said. “I played smart, some good, some great.

“I kept it out of the bunkers and out of the hay, and gave myself some opportunities. And I’m pleased with a birdie-birdie finish.”

Langer is trying to add a second British Senior title to the one he won at Carnoustie in 2010.

Tway set the early target at 4-under 67, with birdies at the first, sixth, 12th and 13th, and no dropped shots.

“It was a pleasure to play a nice round of golf on a great golf course,” Tway said. “I probably should have bogeyed a couple of holes coming in, but I got lucky.”

Chris Williams of England was alone in third on a bogey-free 68 with birdies at Nos. 2, 4 and 6, while Andrew Oldcorn of Scotland was a stroke behind in fourth. Spain’s Pedro Linhart and Canadian Rick Gibson were tied for fifth on 70.

Mark Wiebe, who beat Langer in last year’s playoff and played with him in the first round, carded 5-over 76.

Colin Montgomerie, bidding for his third successive seniors’ major, was on 74 with just two birdies, and three dropped shots.

Tom Watson had a roller-coaster front nine of 1-over 36, steadied the ship for five holes after the turn, then dropped three strokes on successive holes before birdieing the last for a 3-over 74.

On the way out he birdied the first, dropped a stroke at the next three holes, parred No. 5, birdied the sixth, dropped a stroke at the seventh, birdied the eighth, and parred the ninth.

The winner at Royal Birkdale two years ago, Fred Couples, was out in 39 after a triple-bogey eight at the long sixth, but stormed back with a birdie-eagle-birdie run from the 12th to get back to level, dropped a stroke at the 16th, and birdied the last to be back in 32 for a par 71.

Calgary’s Rick Gibson and Rob Spittle of St. Catherine’s, Ont. are representing Canada in the Senior Open, and shot 70 and 76 respectively in the opening round.

CALGARY—One of the game’s greatest names, Fred Couples, has confirmed he will be returning to Calgary to compete in the second annual Shaw Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club, August 27-31, 2014.

A World Golf Hall of Fame member, the 54-year-old Couples is one of the feature attractions on the Champions Tour that showcases an assembly of golf’s legends. A winner of 15 PGA Tour events, the smooth swinging Couples won his lone major championship at the 1992 Masters Tournament.

“Freddie definitely played a huge role in drawing thousands of golf fans out to our inaugural Tournament one year ago and we are thrilled to have him join us again this year in Calgary,” said Sean Van Kesteren, tournament director, Shaw Charity Classic. “The patron group, our title sponsor Shaw Communications, and the Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club have made a commitment to build on the event’s successful foundation year to raise more money for children’s charities. Adding Freddie’s name to the list of high-profiled players making their first trip to Calgary like Bernhard Langer, Kenny Perry and Mark Calcavecchia definitely helps us achieve our goal!”

Couples has also racked up 10 Champions Tour victories since joining the senior circuit in 2010. After finishing second in his first start, he went on to win his next three events, becoming the first player ever to win three of his first four events. He also has two major championship victories on the Champions Tour: 2011 Senior Players Championship, and The Senior Open Championship in 2012.

“I really enjoyed playing up in Calgary last year, so I’m looking forward to getting back to the Shaw Charity Classic this summer,” said Couples. “This was one of the top events on Tour last year. The crowds were huge, the golf course was in great shape and we were able to raise some significant money for the wonderful youth charities in the area. I hope the community comes out to support the tournament this year and I know the players will put on another great show!”

Couples will be among 81 Champions Tour professionals that will play in Calgary including Steve Elkington, Fred Funk, David Frost, and defending champion Rocco Mediate.

Continuing this trend of bringing big names to Calgary for this year’s tournament, Shaw also announced today that rock icons Randy Bachman and Fred Turner will be joined by acclaimed Canadian band The Sheepdogs to celebrate the Shaw Charity Classic with a free concert at Shaw Millennium Park on Thursday, August 28.

Presented by Rdio, the country’s leading digital streaming music service, tickets to the all-ages concert will be will be made available for free beginning Thursday, July 17 at 10am MT by visiting shaw.ca/concert.

Tickets and corporate packages for the Shaw Charity Classic are available online at www.shawcharityclassic.com. Youth 17 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult.he inaugural Shaw Charity Classic, which was recognized with an Outstanding Achievement Award for a first year event by the PGA Tour, and a Tourism Calgary White Hat Award for best event/festival/attraction in 2013, made a record-setting charitable donation of $2,276,251 for a Champions Tour event.  The legends of the game will play for a purse of $2.25 million, an increase of $250,000 from last year, when they return to Calgary’s Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club August 27-31, 2014.

EDMOND, Okla. – Colin Montgomerie is getting used to winning these big events.

The Scotsman defeated Gene Sauers in a playoff to claim the U.S. Senior Open title Sunday at Oak Tree National.

Montgomerie failed to win in 71 PGA Tour majors and four Champions Tour majors until May, when he won the Senior PGA Championship. Now, he has won two of his past three majors to become just the fifth golfer to win both the Senior PGA Championship and U.S. Senior Open in the same year.

The 51-year-old said he has become more patient with age.

“You have to play intelligent golf, and I think I’ve matured enough to realize that and play more within myself sometimes, including today – to play away from some pins so you don’t make bogies, and you realize that in major golf, pars are usually good enough, especially in the USGA events,” he said.

Montgomerie reached another milestone by winning his first professional playoff in nine tries. Most famously, he lost to Ernie Els at the 1994 U.S. Open and to Steve Elkington in sudden death at the 1995 PGA Championship.

“I’ve been close in these USGA championships a couple of times,” he said. “I’ve lost in a playoff and been one shot behind a couple of times, and you have to wait to (over age) 50 to finally win one.”

On the 18th hole of regulation, Montgomerie parred, then waited. Sauers’ second shot landed about 10 feet from the hole, giving him a chance to win the tournament with a birdie. His putt lipped out, and he parred to force the playoff.

“I guess I just may have misread that putt the first time around, didn’t play enough break,” Sauers said. “Hit a good putt, broke right at the hole at the last second.”

Montgomerie led at the end of the first and second days of the Senior Open, but entered Sunday’s action four shots behind Sauers. He shot a 2-under 69 to force the playoff and now feels he is capable of playing just as well on the PGA Tour.

“My golf is as good as it was in the `90s, when I was No. 2 in the world,” he said. “It really is. I can’t see any difference between that.”

Montgomerie and Sauers entered the playoff at 5 under. Montgomerie entered the third extra hole with a one-shot lead, then sank a putt on 18 to par the hole and claim the win.

It was the first playoff at a U.S. Senior Open since 2002, when Don Pooley beat Tom Watson in a five-hole playoff. This one was held in temperatures that exceeded 100 degrees. Sauers often used a towel to wipe his face and at times rolled it and placed it on the back of his neck. Montgomerie’s face was red from the sun, and he carried a towel to the interview podium while still sweating well after he made his final putt.

“For my wife and three kids to be here is fantastic, and I’m just sorry for them,” Montgomerie said. “It was very hot for them to walk around. They had to walk 21 holes today. Eighteen is enough.”

David Frost and Woody Austin, making his Champions Tour debut, tied for third at 1 under. Jeff Sluman, Vijay Singh and Marco Dawson tied for fifth at even par.

Bernhard Langer, who was among the leaders for most of the tournament and entered the final day at 4 under, faltered on the back nine. He double bogeyed 16 and finished at 6 over for the day and 2 over for the tournament, tied for ninth.

Sauers’ performance was impressive, given his circumstances. He said a reaction to a wrongly prescribed medication several years ago caused Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a disorder that burned the skin on his arms and legs from the inside out. He got out of the hospital in June 2011 and eventually returned to the course.

Sauers hadn’t finished higher than 15th in a Champions Tour event this year, and hadn’t won an event of any kind since the 2002 Air Canada Championship on the PGA Tour. He has never won a major on the Champions or PGA tours, but he was thankful to be close.

“I’m glad to be able to be here to play with my friends again,” he said. “I’m glad to be here and I’m coming back. I feel good about my game, and there’s always next week.”

The lone Canadian in the field was Rod Spittle. He finished tied for 49th at 13-over 297 after a 75 on Sunday.

EDMOND, Okla. – Gene Sauers shot a 3-under 68 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead in the third round of the U.S. Senior Open.

Sauers had a 33 on the back nine to take control at Oak Tree National heading into the final round on Sunday. He is at 7 under for the tournament.

Colin Montgomerie, Bernhard Langer and Scott Dunlap are tied for second at 4 under.

Langer, who has dominated the Champions Tour all season, was solid, but had several potential birdies lip out during his even-par 71.

Marco Dawson, who shot a 76 on Friday, rebounded with a 69 on Saturday and is tied for fifth with Jeff Sluman and Vijay Singh.

Canada’s Rod spittle is tied for 44th at 9-over thru 3 rounds in Oklahoma.

EDMOND, Okla. – Colin Montgomerie remains in front after the second day of action at the U.S. Senior Open.

The Scotsman had an even-par 71 on Friday and is 6 under for the tournament, good for a one-stroke lead over Scott Dunlap.

A few golfers remained on the course as of 8 p.m. EDT, but the leaders had finished.

Dunlap had a 68 in the second round. He birdied Nos. 2, 5 and 7 on his way to a 3-under 32 on the front nine.

Bernhard Langer took sole possession of the lead with a birdie on 14, but netted bogeys on 15, 16 and 18 to finish tied for third at 4 under. He is tied with Gene Sauers, who shot 69 on both the first two days.

Canada’s Rod Spittle shot a 78 Friday and dropped into a tie for 55th at 7-over 149. Spittle was event after the opening-round and despite the lackluster second round he’ll stick around for weekend action after making the cut on the number.

EDMOND, Okla. – Colin Montgomerie declared Bernhard Langer the favorite heading into the U.S. Senior Open.

After 18 holes, Montgomerie may well have seized that position himself with a 6-under 65 to lead at the end of Thursday at Oak Tree National.

The Scotsman started on No. 10 and birdied Nos. 14, 15 and 16 on the way to a 33 on the back nine. He birdied six, seven and eight to finish strong in oppressive heat and humidity.

“That was the key to the round, the three birdies in a row on the front nine, my back nine,” Montgomerie said. “To birdie six, seven, eight was good. That got me to the position I am now.”

Marco Dawson was second after a 66, and Mark Brooks was third after shooting 68. Langer was one of five golfers tied for fourth with a 69.

Dawson, in his first Senior Open, started on the back nine and shot 2 under, then was steady on the front nine before scoring birdies on seven, eight and nine. The 50-year-old said it was one of the two best rounds he’s played in his six Champions Tour events. He was pleased with the performance, especially considering the course’s challenging reputation.

“It just seemed to happen, you know, birdie, birdie, birdie the last three holes, so I ended up 5 under,” he said. “I could have shot 2 under and still would have been a good round.”

Brooks birdied the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th holes to go 4 under on his first five holes. He shot 3 under on the back nine and even on the front nine.

“I’ve been playing here since high school,” he said. “I’m comfortable here. My mother and father both are Oklahomans, so I got a lot of Oklahoma blood in me.”

Langer, who entered the Senior Open having already won three events this year, was in a five-way tie for fourth along with Vijay Singh, Kirk Triplett, Scott Dunlap and Gene Sauers.

“They say you don’t win a tournament on the first day,” Langer said. “You can certainly lose it with a bad round, so, you know, I’m somewhere in the top 10 or top 20 after today, which is a good spot to be. Still have three rounds to go.”

Kenny Perry, last year’s Senior Open winner, shot a 75.

Mother Nature was a factor for various reasons.

Play was delayed for 77 minutes at the start due to the threat of lightning, and play was suspended because of darkness at 8:54 p.m. CDT, with three players still on the course.

Wilting 90-plus degree heat with humidity hit in the afternoon. Darrell Kestner completed 14 holes Thursday before withdrawing and being treated for a heat-related issue.

Peter Jacobsen, who withdrew from last year’s Senior Open in Omaha after nine holes because of dehydration, made it through the opening day in Edmond. He shot a 1-under 70, then held a sports drink as he answered questions.

“I learned a really good lesson,” he said. “My doctor told me, `Don’t ever get dehydrated because it’s very debilitating on your body.’ I walk around with water and Gatorade and lot of liquid, especially here when we know it’s going to be humid and hot.”

Heavy rains Wednesday softened the course, but the heat Thursday made it hard later in the day. Changing winds added another degree of difficulty to an already long, tough course.

“It is kind of difficult to judge the wind out here,” Montgomerie said. “You’re always going to get breeze out here in Oklahoma. That’s part of the test out here.”

Weather is expected to remain a factor through the rest of the tournament, with temperatures expected to soar. Montgomerie said it will amount to a physical examination.

“It’s going to be grueling over the next three days,” he said. “Concentration levels will be difficult to maintain for everybody out there, not just myself. I look forward to the challenge of trying to compete against the rest of the field, the golf course, which is superb, and also the weather conditions, which are very foreign to myself and most competitors, to be honest. We don’t usually play in 100 degrees. It’s going to be interesting over the next three days.”

The lone Canadian in the field is Rod Spittle, who opened with an up-and-down even-par 71 that included four birdies and four bogeys. He’s six shots back of the lead, tied for 18th.

EDMOND, Okla. – Colin Montgomerie has been impressed with Bernhard Langer’s success.

The 56-year-old has three victories this season and won the most recent event, the Senior Players Championship. He has everyone’s attention as he heads into the U.S. Senior Open at Oak Tree National, starting Thursday.

“He’s as good as the German football team are, which is ridiculously good,” Montgomerie said of the team that advanced to the World Cup championship match after a 7-1 rout of Brazil.

Langer also has three runner-up finishes and 11 top 10s in 12 events. He has 2,362 points in the race for the Charles Schwab Cup; the second-place golfer, Jay Haas, is 882 points behind.

Langer is playing some of the best golf of his career.

“Well, the whole game has been pretty solid,” Langer said. “I’m hitting it pretty decent from tee to green and the putter is maybe a little bit better this year, just a fraction, than in previous years. It shows in the scores.”

This is the first Senior Open to be held at Oak Tree, but not the first significant event. Jeff Sluman won the 1988 PGA Championship at the course and Haas won the 2006 Senior PGA Championship.

Langer said Oak Tree is a good and difficult course.

“I would think it’s the hardest course I have ever played, or one of the hardest courses, the way it’s set up right now,” he said. “It’s just extremely demanding. And if the wind blows on top of that, it’s going to make it even harder.”

Langer will have competition. Kenny Perry, the defending U.S. Senior Open champion, has won three of the previous six senior major championships. Those victories give him confidence heading into the Senior Open.

“I look forward to the major tournaments now because I can be a little more aggressive,” he said. “I feel like I’m a lot more competitive and I have a lot more confidence. When I come in each week, I’m expecting to win. I may not win and I may not even make the cut, I don’t know, but I feel good mentally as I approach these events.”

Scott Verplank turned 50 on Wednesday, reaching the age requirement by one day. The Edmond, Oklahoma, resident has finished in the top 10 in every major professional championship event. Though he has the advantage of playing this event on his home course and he will be the youngest in the field, he doesn’t expect an easy time.

“These guys can still flat-out play,” Verplank said. “I’m not going to able to just roll out of bed and show up on the first tee and expect to beat everybody. I’m going to have to play at a very high level to compete.”

Vijay Singh will make his second start on the Champions Tour. The 51-year-old previously played in the 2013 Pacific Links Hawai’i Championship, where he tied for sixth. He won 34 PGA Tour events, including three majors.

Other former champions in the field include Olin Browne (2011), Brad Bryant (2007), Roger Chapman (2012), Dave Eichelberger (1999), Fred Funk (2009), Hale Irwin (1998, 2000), Peter Jacobsen (2004) Larry Laoretti (1992) and Perry (2013).

Irwin, the only two-time Senior Open winner in the field, would tie Jack Nicklaus for the career record of eight senior major titles with a victory.

Even with all the big names, most of the pre-event chatter has focused on Langer.

“It’s fantastic to see that someone can actually, in my book, improve over 50,” Montgomerie, who is third in the points standings, said. “There are very few guys in the world that can improve over 40. Bernhard Langer appears to be improving over 50. That’s a real compliment to say. So of course he’s the guy to beat.”