Bernhard Langer held off Corey Pavin to win The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard at Carnoustie.

The German kept his cool to during a tense final round, with a one-over 72 to finish at five-under, one better than the American, who finished his first Senior Major with a round of 70.

Since turning 50 almost three years ago Langer has enjoyed a glittering career in the senior ranks, but incredibly this was his first Major since winning the second of his Green Jackets at Augusta National in 1993.

Langer started the day three clear of his playing partner and by the time they teed off it was quickly becoming apparent that the rest of the field were going to be unable to challenge the final pair.

Pavin trimmed the gap to two with a birdie at the second before Langer responded at the fifth.

The former Ryder Cup Captain's lead was up to four strokes when Pavin dropped a shot at the seventh, only for Langer to experience a wobble and bogey the eighth and ninth.

Pavin was within one when he birdied the 11th, before both players tapped in for birdie at the par-five 14th.

The turning point came at the 15th – Pavin appeared to hold all the aces when he found the fairway with his drive and Langer hit his tee shot into thick rough.

But the former US Open Championship winner pulled his second into a greenside bunker and bogeyed while Langer chipped his third to six feet to save par.

Pavin almost chipped in at the 17th for birdie, but needed a two shot swing at the last.

Langer drove right but his ball stopped short of the water, although he could only fire his second to the fairway 130 yards short of the green.

Pavin found the fairway off the tee, but left his approach just short of the green and when Langer pitched his third to 12 feet, Pavin needed to hole his lengthy birdie putt from off the green to stand any realistic chance of a play-off but it came up short.

A three-under, 68 catapulted Australian Peter Senior into a tie for third alongside American trio Fred Funk, Jay Don Blake and Russ Cochran at one-under.

Senior began the day strongly with three birdies in the first four holes to put himself right in contention. A bogey on the difficult 10th thwarted any chance Senior had before a birdie on 17 capped off a terrific fortnight for the Australian who will return to American to play on the Champions Tour for the remainder of the year.

Wayne Grady and David Merriman finished the next best of the Australian contingent in a tie for 50th position at 13-over.

from pgatour.com.au