|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
THE HONDA CLASSICMarch 2, 2015Daniel BergerPALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA DOUG MILNE: Thanks for joining us for a few minutes here at The Honda Classic. What a great week it was for you. Not the ideal finish but still, two Top‑10 finishes on the West Coast, you come here to Florida, and hometown, and nearly pull off your first PGA TOUR victory in your rookie season on the PGA TOUR. So just some overall comments on the week. DANIEL BERGER: If you told me I was going to finish solo second when the week started, I'd probably take it. Right now, not as happy as I wish I was. But it's just a good learning experience. Won't be the first time and‑‑ won't be the last time, so just look at it as that. Q. What was it like to take the lead when you are in the clubhouse or wherever you were, not on the course? DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, I mean, I was just on the putting green and I now the course was playing pretty tough, so I thought 6 would have a chance. As soon as I got into the locker room, I saw Pádraig and Patrick make a birdie on 14. So that was like, all right, well, we've got a chance here. When I look at it, I still had a chance to win today, so that was the best part about it. Q. On 18, was there any thought about laying up or was that a clear, go‑for‑it kind of shot? DANIEL BERGER: That was the exact yardage I had in the practice round and I hit a great shot. So it was kind of like I knew what I had to do and it really was an ideal scenario for me to hit 3‑wood there. So I can't really look at my round and say, hey, I wish I could have saved a shot here or there. It was kind of like I got all of what I could have gotten out of my round. Q. Is it kind of your style, that kind of aggressive play that we saw? DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, I think just the driving distance plays to my advantage, and it really was a fun week, though. Q. I think you were nine behind, I believe, coming into the final round. What were your thoughts just coming into it? DANIEL BERGER: I kind of knew that no one was really going to run away with it just because it's playing so tough. So I tried to give myself as many opportunities for birdie as I could. I made some nice chip‑ins and some nice bunker shots, and still kind of‑‑ I don't even know what to say (shaking head). Like it's all hitting me right now. Q. You were 11 I think when Pádraig won here in 2005. What was your level of interest in golf and the tournament? Do you remember following it or him? DANIEL BERGER: I don't remember. I wasn't really much into watching golf. I don't watch that much golf even today. But, I mean, he's a great player, and that shot on 17 was kind of a dagger in the heart. It was like, I've really got to give myself a chance. But that's why 17 is so tough. Q. When you say "a dagger in the heart," you were knowing that you had to put it close? DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, I had to putt it closer, within ten or 15 feet, because from where I was standing, it looked like it was two or three feet. I'm sure ifI hit it on the green and made par, I doubt he would have missed that putt. But you never know. Q. What was it about golf that captured your imagination over tennis or any other sport? DANIEL BERGER: I like the individuality of it. I like having all the blame put on me and all the success on myself. It's one of those things where I like to do things on my own kind of, and you can go out there and hit balls and do whatever you want by yourself. In some other sports, you need to have someone else. So that was kind of a thing that drew me in. Q. How much tennis have you ever played? DANIEL BERGER: I play a decent amount, maybe once a week. Q. Still? DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, I enjoy it. Q. Did you at any point decide, was tennis in your future? DANIEL BERGER: Just more of a pastime for me. I wasn't quite good enough. Q. You said earlier in the week, this was really the first time for a lot of your family to see you play. How much of an effect did the crowd and having the family and friends out here have on your play? DANIEL BERGER: I think it was a positive, positive influence on me. You know, it's definitely nice to have all my family and friends rooting for me. It was really a lot of fun. Q. How does this change your self‑perception among guys out on TOUR? DANIEL BERGER: I think this week shows with the depth of the field and how many great players there are, that I can compete with the best in the world. I know this won't be the last chance that I have to win, so just look at it like that. Q. What kind of influence, if at all, was your father's mother on your golf game? DANIEL BERGER: Zero. Q. She was a good golfer, wasn't she? DANIEL BERGER: My father's mother‑‑ my grandma? I don't know if she's ever touched a club in her life. But if she did, I didn't know about it (laughter). Q. She's in the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame as a golfer. DANIEL BERGER: Is she? I've never heard that before. You may be way off there. I don't think she‑‑ I don't even know if she's been to Buffalo before. (Laughter). Q. I think you needed, if I remember correctly, a sponsor's exemption to get into Phoenix; coming off the Web.com, you weren't that high on the list. How do you explain what you've done since Phoenix, to here? DANIEL BERGER: I think I put a lot of good work in. You know, I've put a lot of work in with my coach, Jeff Leishman, and my trainer, David Donatucci. I think I've gotten a little bit stronger. I think as the season's gone on, I've got a little bit more confidence, and from where I was in Napa Valley to where I am now, it's completely different end of the spectrum. Q. Right now, are you feeling more satisfaction or disappointment, or both? DANIEL BERGER: There's a little bit of both. I'm happy that, you know, this week will lock up my card. So I can kind of play a little bit freer for the rest of the year. But obviously I'm disappointed. I mean, I think all of us out here are competitors and we all want to win. So I think, you know, in the next maybe hour or two, it will hit me a little bit more than it is right now. Q. What was it like in the playoff to go head‑to‑head with someone who is nearly as old as your father? DANIEL BERGER: You know, that's the great thing about golf is it doesn't matter how old you are. It's just getting the ball in the hole. So, you know, obviously he's a great player. He's won three majors. You don't win three majors by accident. It's just a great learning experience. I know next time I'll be way better off than I was this time. This was definitely the biggest moment of my life, if you can imagine two years ago I was playing college golf tournaments. It's nice to be in this position. Q. Had you ever met Pádraig before the playoff hole, and did he do anything to set you at ease or were you off on your own? DANIEL BERGER: I met Pádraig one time before that, and it was in Personal. I think I was singing on the putting green and he goes, "You can't being singing out here." And he was joking with me, but he goes, "After 20 years, you won't be singing on the putting green." That was the only time I've ever talked to Pádraig. Q. Does this put him into Doral now? DOUG MILNE: No. Q. What year did you graduate from Jupiter High School? DANIEL BERGER: I actually did not graduate Dwyer, which is a little bit of a misconception. I went three years to Dwyer. We moved back to Miami and I did Florida Virtual School for a year. So I guess I got my degree from there. I don't know what you can call that. Q. Is that like an online degree? DANIEL BERGER: I guess, yeah. Q. What were you singing on the putting green in Personal? DANIEL BERGER: I don't listen to country music, but there was like this one country song I knew. For some reason, they were playing music on the driving range every day, and, I don't know, I was happy that day or something. I was singing, he didn't like it. He was messing around with me, though. Q. Are you going to Puerto Rico or are you taking time off? DANIEL BERGER: We'll see how I feel. My body is a little torn up right now just from a lot of golf being played in the last couple weeks. So, we'll see. Q. After you saw Pádraig's shot three feet from the pin on the last playoff hole, what did you think, and did you have to take a more dangerous shot because of that? DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, I hit a pretty bad shot in there. Either way, if he was 20 feet from the hole or in the water, but no, I definitely tried to play a little bit more aggressive and I might have rushed it a little bit. You know, if I had a second chance, I probably would have taken a little bit longer and just kind of composed myself but it's one of those things that you learn. Like I said, next time I'll be better from it. DOUG MILNE: Congratulations on an overall great week. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|