This week’s Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi marks Daniel Berger’s twenty second begin on the PGA Tour in 2024. But it surely has not been a simple season for the previous Ryder Cup star.
He missed 11 cuts and has posted zero top-10s thus far. His finest end got here on the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Could, when he tied for thirteenth. But, Berger feels lucky sufficient simply to be enjoying after a again damage troubled him for practically 18 months. The 2022 U.S. Open at Brookline was his final skilled begin till this previous January, when he teed it up at The American Categorical.
Now, on the Nation Membership of Jackson, Berger is again the place he belongs: contending at a PGA Tour occasion via 36 holes. He fired a 7-under 65 on Thursday and adopted that up with one other 65 on Friday to take a seat at 14-under on the halfway level. Berger briefly held the lead at one level however now trails Beau Hossler by a stroke.
After his second spherical, the four-time PGA Tour winner offered a sensational admission.
“That is most likely the primary time I can say I’m 100%,” Berger mentioned after his spherical.
“The final couple weeks, I felt my finest and performed a bunch of golf at dwelling with the blokes, and I’m hitting it additional and simply feeling like myself extra. That’s translating into what I’m seeing now.”
What he’s seeing is super. He’s presently second among the many discipline in general strokes gained and has but to report a bogey.
“I’m simply making an attempt to have some enjoyable and luxuriate in myself,” Berger added.
Daniel Berger has the lead in Jackson.
LFG!!!!
A win for Danny can be an INCREDIBLE story of redemption and certainly one of THE tales of the 12 months. pic.twitter.com/1pgOvDhPfB
— Jack Milko (@jack_milko) October 4, 2024
“Appears to be working to date. My dad was out right here earlier with me this week, so it has felt like a traditional week at dwelling. That’s normally after I play my finest.”
If in case you have adopted golf over the previous few years, you recognize the game has been turned the other way up. The rise of LIV Golf has splintered the game whereas forcing the PGA Tour to make some adjustments, comparable to creating Signature Occasions to make sure prime golfers play alongside one another.
However Berger has not performed in a Signature Occasion as a result of he missed practically two years. That compelled him to play in some unfamiliar tournaments; then once more, not less than he’s wholesome sufficient to take action.
“At first, it was extraordinarily tough,” Berger mentioned.
“The panorama of the golf world has modified from after I took time without work to the place I’m now. The tournaments that I’m in—I wasn’t on this 12 months, however I’d’ve been in earlier than. So I’m enjoying new occasions I by no means performed earlier than, going locations I by no means had on my schedule, altering golf coaches, and having new caddies. You add all this variation, and it simply turns into difficult. I’ve simply tried to dig in, be affected person, and benefit from the course of.”
Maybe that explains why Berger struggled through the first half of 2024.
“While you miss practically two years, you don’t come again and see quick success, it may be difficult,” Berger added.
“Now I’m simply having enjoyable, and that’s after I play my finest.”
Hopefully, one of the best for Berger has but to return.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. Be sure you take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.
