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FEDEX ST. JUDE CLASSIC

June 12, 2016

Daniel Berger

Memphis, Tennessee

AMANDA HERRINGTON: We'd like to welcome the 2016 winner of the FedEx St. Jude Classic, Daniel Berger. Daniel, your first PGA TOUR win. Your 50th start on Tour.

Now that you've got that first win, what does it mean to you?

DANIEL BERGER: It means the world to me and it was just funny because we were sitting in the lunch room today during the rain delay and Phil was giving me crap, he was wondering if in the history of the Rookie Of The Year had any Rookie Of The Year won Rookie Of The Year without winning a tournament and he said that and it kind of pissed me off a little bit but to kind of get it done today just means a lot.

AMANDA HERRINGTON: You maintained a 3-shot lead through the last couple rounds here which given the margin of victory in playoffs we've had this season, that's pretty impressive.

DANIEL BERGER: Yeah. To do that with so many great players, Hall of Famers behind me, it's something that I'll never forget and I just love the way I hung in there and was able to get it done.

AMANDA HERRINGTON: I think anyone who watches you play now, you're a very confident player and with Steve Stricker, two-time winner, Phil Mickelson breathing down your neck, talk about the mindset that gets you here right now.

DANIEL BERGER: I try to make as many birdies as I could and try to minimize the mistakes and got off to a poor start but I hung in there and made some clutch par putts on the first three, four holes and that kind of got me going and then, you know, on the back-9 I just kind of putted lights out which you have to do sometimes to win and I feel like, you know, now that I've won once I can win ten more times.

AMANDA HERRINGTON: With that we'll go ahead and start with some questions.

Q. Had Phil seen the quote from yesterday?
DANIEL BERGER: I think he did. I was thinking about it last night, I was like I wonder -- he got pissed that the Ryan Ruffels comments. "I wonder if Phil is pissed about that?" He's fine. If you knew the way me and Phil were, it's just like friends.

Q. It got close a couple times today. Where would be the most nervous, if you were, at some point?
DANIEL BERGER: Probably on 17 because I thought that if Phil would have made birdie there and then if I would have made bogey there and didn't get up and down, it would have been a lot tighter but I made that really, really clutch par putt on 17 down the hill.

That was probably the toughest putt of the day and get that one to go made 18 easier.

Q. The 32-footer, how was that and how did you see that?
DANIEL BERGER: Which hole?

Q. I think it was 14.
DANIEL BERGER: Par 3?

Q. Yes.
DANIEL BERGER: I hit it in the water yesterday. Obviously that was kind of the last thing I wanted to do there. I just made a confident swing, 30 feet left and that's really where I wanted to be and to get the putt to go in was just a little extra.

Q. Daniel, based on the year you had last year and how well you have played this year, was it just a matter of time that this day would happen?
DANIEL BERGER: I like to think so. I mean when I had that close call at the Honda 14 events into my PGA TOUR career you start to think about that a lot. You're wondering if you let that one go by, will you ever be in this position again?

I played so well the last 6, 7 weeks, it was just a matter of time before I had a real, real shot at winning and I feel like those experiences last year really helped me to get to where I am right now.

Q. Talk a little bit about have you had a chance to talk to your father yet after this?
DANIEL BERGER: For ten seconds. I just called him. He said -- I asked him if he watched. Obviously he watched. But you know, we were just rushing around. I told him I would call him back.

Q. Secondly, your gritty play and how you approach the game, how much of that comes from your father and I guess seems like that's the way he played as a pro?
DANIEL BERGER: I think you're either born to be a competitor or you're not and I think I was born to be a competitor no matter what sport, no matter what I'm doing with my brothers, with my friends, I just want to win in whatever I do and I feel like that's just the way.

Q. Daniel, nobody has won on the Tour and gone to the U.S. Open and won. You're obviously very confident. The way you're playing though, you feel you've got as good a chance as anybody to maybe end that?
DANIEL BERGER: Absolutely. When I played in the Masters for the first time I think I finished 10th, five shots behind and didn't really play that great. So, you know if I can go in there next week and play good, then obviously I have what it takes to get the W.

Q. What did you have on 14 yesterday and what did you have on 14 today?
DANIEL BERGER: 7-iron yesterday and today.

Q. Did yesterday enter your mind?
DANIEL BERGER: There was a lot of room left today and yesterday, too. Just different scenarios, different day.

So, I mean obviously whenever there's water you're trying not to pay attention to it but it set-up nice for me because it's a little cut and that's the shot I like to hit.

Q. Did you call it the most important shot of the day?
DANIEL BERGER: The putt was the most important shot of the day. If that putt didn't go then maybe I wouldn't have been so free on the next one and, you know, who knows what would have happened.

Q. How did you spend the break and was it hard knowing that you hadn't gotten off to the best start?
DANIEL BERGER: Yeah. I didn't want to be in that room, you know, in the lunch room with an 8-footer for par on my first hole but, you know, it's just the way it goes and I like to have an 8-footer for birdie and that would have been a lot better but I just try to do exactly what I've been doing all week, hit it in the fairway and on the green and make as many putts as I can.

I know it sounds really basic but I think that's really what you need to do to win.

Q. Phil, by the way, did say he said, "Philip it is." He saw you. Did you have an exchange?
DANIEL BERGER: He was actually in the scoring area. I said, "I'm calling you Philip." He said, "You earned it."

It's nice. Phil has been one of those guys that's bean around for so many years and it's hard not to be a fan of his when you're growing up because he's so -- he's always happy, always smiling and I can learn a little bit from that, too.

AMANDA HERRINGTON: Finally, this was your first time here in Memphis.

DANIEL BERGER: I mean it's just been an awesome experience, the volunteers, the staff, everyone that's made this tournament happen. The course was in such great condition. The food is great. I love barbecue. I get to come back here for many, many more years.

AMANDA HERRINGTON: Great. Thank you and congratulations.

DANIEL BERGER: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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