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Daniel Berger (golfer)

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Daniel Berger
Personal information
Full nameDaniel F. Berger
Born(1993-04-07)April 7, 1993(age 31)
Plantation, Florida,U.S.
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight175 lb (79 kg; 12.5 st)
Sporting nationalityUnited States
ResidenceJupiter, Florida,U.S.
PartnerVictoria Slater
Career
CollegeFlorida State University
Turned professional2013
Current tour(s)PGA Tour
Former tour(s)Web Tour
Professional wins4
Highestranking12 (October 4, 2020)[1]
(as of July 14, 2024)
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour4
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT10:2016
PGA ChampionshipT12: 2018
U.S. OpenT6:2018
The Open ChampionshipT8:2021
Achievements and awards
PGA Tour
Rookie of the Year		2014–15

Daniel F. Berger(born April 7, 1993) is an Americanprofessional golferwho plays on thePGA Tour.After turning pro at age 20 in 2013, he won theFedEx St. Jude Classicin both 2016 and 2017 and theCharles Schwab Challengein 2020, the first PGA Tour tournament played after a three-month hiatus due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.In February 2021, he won theAT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am;clinching victory with an eagle on the 18th hole.

Early years

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Berger was born inPlantation, Florida,to Jewish parents,[2][3]Nadia andJay Berger,a former tennis pro (ranked seventh in the world in 1990), coach, and head of men's tennis for theUnited States Tennis Association.[2]His grandmother, Roslyn Swift Berger, was an accomplished amateur golfer who was inducted into the Greater Buffalo, New York Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.[2]He has two brothers and a sister.[4]

Berger grew up and lived inKey Biscayne,Florida for about thirteen years and began playing golf at age 10. He began taking lessons from PGA Master Professional, Kevin Perkins on a weekly basis and also attended Perkins' golf camp that summer and fell in love with the game. At that early age, Berger indicated to his father that he would like to become a professional golfer. Berger went on to have good success early, by finishing tie for 22nd in the US Kids International Championship, Boys, age 12, shooting rounds of 75, 79 and 75. Berger later moved with his family toJupiter, Florida,where he also had his firsthole-in-oneat age 13.[5][4]He graduated fromWilliam T. Dwyer High Schoolin 2011, though he did not play high school golf.[4]

He played college golf atFlorida State UniversityinTallahassee.[6]There, in the spring of 2013 he won both the SunTrust Gator Invitational and the Seminole Intercollegiate, and that season he led theAtlantic Coast Conference(ACC) with a 69.36 stroke average.[6][7]He tied for second at the 2013NCAA Golf Championshipsas a sophomore, and was named a two-time first-teamAll-Americanby theGolf Coaches Association of AmericaandGolfweek,and named to the All-Nicklaus team, All-ACC team, andPINGAll-Region team.[6]He turned pro after his sophomore year, at age 20.[8]

Professional career

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In late 2013, Berger qualified for theWeb Tourand played four events. Thefollowing year,he finished T2 at theTPC Stonebrae Championship[9]and ranked 15th in the season-long Web Tour standings, which earned him a promotion to thePGA Tourfor the2014–15season.[8][10]

In March2015,Berger shot a 6-under-par 64 in the final round of theHonda Classicto get into a sudden-death playoff,[11]which he lost toPádraig Harrington.Had Berger won, it would have been the second-largest final round comeback inPGA Tourhistory; he began the final round nine strokes behind 54-hole leaderIan Poulter.[12]Three weeks later at theArnold Palmer Invitational,Berger made adouble eagleat the par-5 sixth hole during the third round.[13]

During the 2015 season, Berger made the cut in 17 of 31 events, had six top-10 finishes, including two seconds, and was the only rookie to make theTour Championshipfield in late September. He finished 11th in theFedEx Cuprankings, 25th on the money list (earning over $3 million), and was thePGA Tour Rookie of the Year.[14][15][16]

Berger gained his first PGA Tour win in June2016at theFedEx St. Jude ClassicnearMemphis,which moved him to 29th in theOfficial World Golf Ranking.He earned $1.1 million.[2]

At the beginning of the2017PGA Tour Season, Berger began usingCallawayclubs and balls after switching over fromTaylorMade,which he used in his first two seasons on tour. Later that season, Berger successfully defended his FedEx St. Jude Classic title, and moved to 24th in the world. By July, he was ranked 20th in the world.[5]He made the 2017 USPresidents CupTeam.[17]

At the2018 U.S. OpenatShinnecock Hills Golf Club,Berger shot a third-round 66, putting him in a 4-way tie for the lead withDustin Johnson,defending championBrooks Koepka,andTony Finau.[18]However, a final round 73 left Berger in a tie for 6th place, 5 shots behind eventual winner Koepka.

On June 14, 2020, Berger won the 2020Charles Schwab Challenge,and received a winner's check of $1.375 million.[19]This was the first PGA Tour tournament back after a three-month hiatus due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.Berger won the tournament whenCollin Morikawamissed a very short putt for par on the first playoff hole.[20]With the victory he was ranked No. 31 in the world.[20]He had a streak of 32 consecutive rounds at par or better in 2019–20, the eighth-longest streak since 1983, one round fewer than the streaks ofKenny PerryandHarris English.[17]

Berger won the 2021AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Amshooting a 65 in the final round. He eagled the final hole to win by two strokes ahead ofMaverick McNealy.[21]

In September 2021, Berger played on the U.S. team in the2021 Ryder CupatWhistling StraitsinKohler, Wisconsin.The U.S. team won 19–9 and Berger went 2–1–0 including a win in his Sunday singles match againstMatt Fitzpatrick.

Personal life

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Berger currently resides in Jupiter, Florida.

Amateur wins

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  • 2009 FCWT National Championship
  • 2010 Florida State Match Play Championship
  • 2013 Gator Invitational, Seminole Intercollegiate

Professional wins (4)

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PGA Tour wins (4)

[edit]
No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 Jun 12,2016 FedEx St. Jude Classic 67-64-69-67=267 −13 3 strokes United StatesBrooks Koepka,United StatesPhil Mickelson,
United StatesSteve Stricker
2 Jun 11,2017 FedEx St. Jude Classic(2) 70-68-66-66=270 −10 1 stroke South KoreaKim Meen-whee,South AfricaCharl Schwartzel
3 Jun 14,2020 Charles Schwab Challenge 65-67-67-66=265 −15 Playoff United StatesCollin Morikawa
4 Feb 14,2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 67-66-72-65=270 −18 2 strokes United StatesMaverick McNealy

PGA Tour playoff record (1–2)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 2015 The Honda Classic Republic of IrelandPádraig Harrington Lost to par on second extra hole
2 2017 Travelers Championship United StatesJordan Spieth Lost to birdie on first extra hole
3 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge United StatesCollin Morikawa Won with par on first extra hole

Results in major championships

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Results not in chronological order in 2020.

Tournament 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Masters Tournament T10 T27 T32
U.S. Open T28 T37 CUT T6
The Open Championship CUT T27 CUT
PGA Championship CUT T73 CUT T12
Tournament 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Masters Tournament CUT T50
PGA Championship T71 T13 T75 CUT
U.S. Open T49 T34 T7 CUT T21
The Open Championship NT T8
Top 10
Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
NT = no tournament due toCOVID-19 pandemic

Summary

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Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 4
PGA Championship 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 5
U.S. Open 0 0 0 0 2 3 9 7
The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 2
Totals 0 0 0 0 4 7 26 18
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 4 (twice)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (2021 U.S. Open – 2021 Open Championship)

Results in The Players Championship

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Tournament 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
The Players Championship CUT T9 T65 T57 T67 C T9 T13
Top 10

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
C = Canceled after the first round due to theCOVID-19 pandemic

Results in World Golf Championships

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Tournament 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Championship T28 T16 T14 T35
Match Play T61 T39 T59 NT1 T18 T35
Invitational WD T17 T48 T2 T5
Champions T11 T2 T24 NT1 NT1 NT1

1Cancelled due toCOVID-19pandemic

Top 10
Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
WD = Withdrew
NT = No tournament
"T" = Tied
Note that the Championship and Invitational were discontinued from 2022.

U.S. national team appearances

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Amateur

Professional

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Week 40 2020 Ending 4 Oct 2020"(pdf).OWGR.RetrievedOctober 5,2020.
  2. ^abcdGlassman, Marvin (July 19, 2016)."Berger first Jew in 12 years to win PGA golf championship".The Canadian Jewish News.
  3. ^"Alcott, Fleisher, Pressel: Don't Pass Over Jewish Golfers".Golf.
  4. ^abc"Daniel Berger".PGA Tour.RetrievedJuly 14,2017.
  5. ^abCoss, Matt (July 12, 2017)."No. 20 Berger quickly rising golf ranks".Quad-City Times.
  6. ^abc"Daniel Berger Bio".Florida State Seminoles.RetrievedJuly 14,2017.
  7. ^"Berger and Seminoles Win Gator Invitational".Florida State Seminoles. February 10, 2013.RetrievedJuly 14,2017.
  8. ^abWaters, Steve (February 24, 2015)."Berger's golf plan working perfectly".Sun-Sentinel.RetrievedMarch 2,2015.
  9. ^"Tony Finau shoots 66 en route to win".ESPN.Associated Press.August 3, 2014.RetrievedMarch 2,2015.
  10. ^Nichols, Beth Ann (February 25, 2015)."Daniel Berger joins succession of Seminoles on Tour".Golfweek.RetrievedMarch 2,2015.
  11. ^"6 South Florida-Bred Golfers Who Will Be Playing In February's Honda Classic At PGA National".Palm Beacher Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon August 28, 2019.RetrievedAugust 28,2019.
  12. ^Waters, Steve (March 2, 2015)."Padraig Harrington of Ireland wins his second Honda Classic in a playoff".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedMarch 22,2015.
  13. ^Crouse, Karen (March 21, 2015)."Double Eagle Bolsters Daniel Berger, a Rookie, at Bay Hill".The New York Times.RetrievedMarch 22,2015.
  14. ^"Spieth named PGA Tour Player of the Year: Daniel Berger is selected as the Tour's top rookie".PGA Tour. October 2, 2015.
  15. ^"Daniel Berger – Statistics".PGA Tour.RetrievedOctober 2,2015.
  16. ^Waters, Steve (February 24, 2016)."For Daniel Berger, PGA National is like a happy homecoming".PGA of America.
  17. ^abRay, Justin (June 23, 2020)."Beat the streak: Berger just keeps breaking par".PGA Tour.
  18. ^"'Be careful what you wish for': A wild third round at Shinnecock Hills saw high tempers and higher scores ".Golf.June 16, 2018.
  19. ^Jenkins, Scott (July 7, 2020)."Golfer Jon Rahm Explains the Funniest Side Effect of Golf's Return Without Fans".
  20. ^abFerguson, Doug (June 14, 2020)."Daniel Berger beats Collin Morikawa in sudden-death playoff at Colonial".CBC.Associated Press.
  21. ^Jackson, Keith (January 15, 2021)."Daniel Berger eagles the last hole to seal two-shot victory at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am".Sky Sports News.RetrievedJanuary 15,2021.
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