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TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

August 6, 2016

Daniel Berger

Cromwell, Connecticut

AMANDA HERRINGTON: We'd like to welcome Daniel Berger here to the interview room at the Travelers Championship. Daniel broke away a little bit, taking a three-shot lead heading into tomorrow. Career low round; how does it feel right now?

DANIEL BERGER: It feels great. I guess I've shot better than 62, but I guess it doesn't matter unless it's on the PGA TOUR. It was just a great day, and I feel like the group really got off to a hot start on the back nine, and we just kind of carried it into the last hole.

AMANDA HERRINGTON: You've been in a similar position just a couple starts ago getting your first win in Memphis. What did you learn from that experience that you think can carry over to tomorrow?

DANIEL BERGER: I've just got to go have some fun. For me it was only two tournaments ago, but really it was seven or eight weeks ago. Just going to do what I've been doing the last couple days and hopefully make a few putts, and that's all I can do.

Q. You had a three-shot lead when you went into the final round at Memphis. How much confidence does that give you knowing that you've done it before, being able to have that same shot lead going into tomorrow?
DANIEL BERGER: I'll tell you, it'll be a lot easier stepping up on the tee box having a PGA TOUR win under my belt than if I didn't. You know, it's all about hitting good shots under pressure, and I've been doing that so far this week. If I can continue to do that, then I'm sure I'll be right there on Sunday.

Q. Can you take us through the shoulder injury, when you hurt it, what you have been through over the last couple of months and where it is now?
DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, I mean, I kind of tweaked it at Memphis. I don't really know why. Maybe I didn't warm up properly, and kind of got through that week, and the U.S. Open, kind of got through that, too, and I was warming up on Sunday and hit one shot, and it was like, wow, every single shot after that was worse and worse. I just kind of battled through it on Sunday, and played pretty good for barely holding onto the golf club, and after that I took some time off, a week or so, and it didn't really get any better, so then I went to try and play at Firestone, which I thought I'd be able to do, and really wasn't able to play like I wanted to, so I just didn't make it happen there.

Then flew up to New York, got an MRI, wasn't anything serious. I didn't have a tear or anything, but it's just kind of one of those injuries where it's in a sensitive spot and doesn't seem to heal really quickly.

So every single week I'm like, all right, I'm going to play this week and I'm chipping and putting, but I wasn't hitting any balls. Three days before the tournament, I'm like, all right, still can't hit balls, probably not a good idea to go play, and had to pull out of the British, which sucked. But I feel like I've done everything right to this point, so to be here right now has kind of been part of my plan.

Q. Is it hurting this week as you're playing?
DANIEL BERGER: It feels great. Doesn't hurt -- zero pain on the golf course. Tonight it'll definitely be sore, and I'll ice and get some treatment. I guess it's just part of the process. Like last week I really -- I've never played a golf tournament in my life injured, but I talked to some of the other guys, and Jerry Kelly told me in his 600 starts, more than half of them he was feeling bad. I guess you've got to learn to play hurt a little bit, obviously, if you're not going to hurt it any more. But it feels great this week, and if I do the right things, then hopefully it's gone forever.

Q. When you're playing from in front heading into tomorrow now, do you want to know what's going on around you so you know whether at some point you have to take chances or be conservative? And secondly, if we get some rain and it changes the course or becomes soggier, does that make it more fun with so many guys being able to post such great scores?
DANIEL BERGER: To answer the first question, yeah, you have to be aware of where you're at, but I mean, you don't want to look at the scoreboard every single hole and get taken away from what you're trying to do. But I'd like it to be like it is right now. I don't want a ton of people trying to make a bunch of birdies. But it's part of the game, and I've got to play well tomorrow if I want to win.

Q. You were saying just keep doing what you were doing. What did you do today? What was working well for you today?
DANIEL BERGER: I think I made a ton of putts, and that's been a big key for me. I've been putting really good the last couple months or so, and even before I won, I mean, I was looking back, I mean, I was in third or fourth, fifth place through two rounds, three or four tournaments in a row, and didn't really play that great on the weekend, and then obviously in Memphis I played really well, and I played really well today again.

Yeah, just go have fun tomorrow, see what happens, and you know, it is what it is. Can't really control anything other than how much fun I have.

Q. Kind of going off that, I think it was four top 10s with Memphis obviously culminating that, and then the injury. But you didn't seem to lose any of that momentum. What was it about this year that kind of clicked for you, at what point, and what has allowed you to keep that going?
DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, I think -- well, my caddie Grant Berry and I split up in the beginning of the year, and I didn't play that great, and everyone was starting to say sophomore slump, and that kind of got me upset a little bit. Not upset but kind of like, all right, let's get going here, and I started practicing a little harder, which probably is the only reason why I'm playing better. But I've just been doing the right things on and off the golf course, and I think that's made the biggest difference.

Q. I think it was touched on a little bit earlier about maybe a change in approach if the course is wet. If we get that rain tonight that they expect or whatever, if you can speculate for me a little bit, how might that change not only your approach but the approach of all these pros around you trying to catch you if it's a softer course tomorrow?
DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, I mean, if it's softer, it also could potentially play harder with balls spinning back. They put some tough wins out there, but I'm a long hitter of the golf ball, and I know some of the guys chasing me aren't quite as long as me, so to -- if it rains, it rains, and we just deal with it as it comes.

Q. Where did you get a lower score than a 62? Do you remember where it was, when it was?
DANIEL BERGER: In my second other -- in my only other mini-Tour start of my career in Utah I shot 60 or 61, I think, yeah.

Q. How closely are you keeping track of things like Ryder Cup standings, FedExCup standings and things like that?
DANIEL BERGER: I would say I'm keeping track of the Ryder Cup. I haven't looked at the rankings since I won when I moved to 12th. You know, Captain Love has texted me a few times because I wanted to kind of keep him informed on where I'm at, like listen, I'm not done for the year, I'm just making sure that when I come back, I'm 100 percent. And that's my biggest goal this year. I mean, I want to play on the Ryder Cup.

My dad played in the Davis Cup, which is tennis' equivalent of the Ryder Cup, so I think that would be pretty cool to have father and son play Davis Cup and Ryder Cup. So that's one of my goals. But if it's not this year then I'll look toward the next one, but I know I'll be great in that environment and I'll be tough to beat whoever Mr. Clarke put up against me.

Q. That being your biggest goal, is there a little more internal pressure going into tomorrow thinking about the Ryder Cup a little bit?
DANIEL BERGER: Not necessarily because I could win and still not be inside the qualifying players. It just needs to be a good round tomorrow to have a chance, and that's what I'm going to try to do.

AMANDA HERRINGTON: Thanks, Daniel.

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