Bernhard Langer has been honoured by the European Institute of Golf Course Architects (EIGCA) with its Harry Colt Award for outstanding contribution to European golf.

Langer becomes the first individual to be recognised with the Harry Colt Award, which was introduced by the EIGCA in 2010. Previous recipients include The R&A, GEO (Golf Environment Organization) and the Golfing Union of Ireland.

The award was presented to Langer by EIGCA president Ross McMurray (pictured left, with Langer and, right, EIGCA vice president Christoph Staedler) at St Andrews on the eve of the Senior Open Championship.

McMurray said: “Bernhard Langer has had an amazing career with over 100 tournament victories, two Masters titles and ten senior major wins. He has been a winning Ryder Cup captain, played on ten Ryder Cup teams and is one of the most respected golfers ever to have ever played the game.

“Through his tremendous success, Bernhard has been an inspiration to golfers throughout Europe for nearly four decades and has been a major influence on the development of golf in Germany and elsewhere on continental Europe. Europe’s golf course architects, and the golf industry generally, owe Bernhard a huge debt of gratitude and I hope presenting him with our Harry Colt Award goes some way to showing him our appreciation.”

Langer said: “I am honoured to receive the Harry Colt Award from Europe’s golf course architects. It was in 1980 that I won my first golf tournament on the European Tour and I really do hope that in the intervening years I have been able to inspire others to take up this great game. It is wonderful to be recognised in this way and I am deeply grateful to the EIGCA and its members for this award.”