Boca Raton’s Bernhard Langer wins 5th Champions player of year award

Bernhard Langer, a Boca Raton resident, won the Jack Nicklaus Award on Saturday as the PGA Tour Champions player of the year for the record fifth time.

Langer also won the award in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2014. The 58-year-old German star successfully defended his Senior Players title in June in Massachusetts for his fifth senior major title and won in San Antonio in October for his 25th victory on the 50-and-over tour.

“I’m thrilled to be voted by my peers as the player of the year,” Langer said. “The Jack Nicklaus Award is a very meaningful achievement in my career, and to have now won it five times is certainly pretty special.”

Langer won the Charles Schwab Cup season points title for the second straight year and record third time. He also took the money title for the record fourth straight year and record seventh time in eight years, finishing with $2,340,288.

Jerry Smith was selected the rookie of the year. Smith won the Encompass Championship in Illinois in July and finished 28th on the money list with $652,365.