The PGA Tour made a fan-free return this week with Daniel Berger walking away with the plaid jacket and a cheque for $1,350,000 after winning a playoff against Collin Morikawa in the Charles Schwab Challenge. It looked like it was Xander Schauffele’s title to lose but he missed a three-footer on the 17th for par and came just short with a 25ft attempt on the last to join the playoff.
You may not have heard of Daniel Berger before so here’s some things you should know about the 27 year old American:
- This was his first title since 2017. His other two PGA Tour victories were in the FedEx St. Jude Classic when he first lifted the title in 2016, then he successfully defended it the year after.
- Berger has posted 28 consecutive rounds of par or better dating back to last October’s Zozo Championship in Japan.
- Berger has had a nightmare with injuries. He had a wrist injury that developed in 2018 and eventually put him on a Major Medical Extension entering this season.
- He had slipped outside of the world’s top 150 by the end of 2019, having been 19th just over two years earlier.
- Berger played in the U.S team that streamrolled the international team in the 2017 Presidents Cup.
- He was in a four-way tie for the lead going into the final day of the U.S. Open in 2018 and ended up finishing in 6th.
- Berger has risen to 31st in the Official World Golf Ranking from 106th after this playoff triumph.
An emotional champion. 🏆
The wait is over for @DanielBerger59. pic.twitter.com/34uwXBe333
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 14, 2020
What Berger had to say following the win:
“When I won my first couple times, I took it a little bit for granted, thinking that every year it was just going to be easy and you’d have that chance to win, but it’s tough out here,” he said. “It’s cutthroat, and the best players in the world every week are showing up. I worked my butt off the last year to be in this position, and I’m just glad it all paid off.”
