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THE PRESIDENTS CUP

October 1, 2017

Daniel Berger

Jersey City, New Jersey

Q. Class of 2011 strikes again. It got really crowded on 15 green. How and when did you know that it was going to be you?
DANIEL BERGER: Captain Stricker came up to me on 16 and told me that we had clinched it. What a feeling. We've been here for the last week and playing for this for months. It's just a great feeling.

Q. People who know you know that you like to play for a little something. How much did being the guy motivate you, specifically.
DANIEL BERGER: It was more about the team. It wasn't about me. I was just really happy to be able to close out my match today. Si-Woo played great. We exchanged a bunch of birdie putts coming down the stretch, and it just so happened I came out on the right side of that.

Q. This will be a highlight people will play for a long time when it comes to your career.
DANIEL BERGER: It's definitely high up there. I'm just speechless right now. I'm just so excited for the team. Hopefully the rest of the guys go out there and finish off some of their matches and then we celebrate tonight.

Q. Getting the winning putt for the U.S. Team, how special has this week been for you?
DANIEL BERGER: It's been amazing. It's hard to describe. We have come together so well. Everyone's played so nicely, and it's just nice to finish off the week with a win.

Q. We see every time in team competitions, guys show a lot of emotion. What is it about these team competitions that bring out a different side of you that we're not used to seeing?
DANIEL BERGER: I think when you are representing your country and you have the red, white and blue on, there's a sense of pride that you want to play to; the hole feels bigger when you're playing these type of events. It's something that I hope that I can enjoy for many more years.

Q. Obviously with such a big lead, it was going to come down to somebody. When did you have an idea that you had the chance to maybe win this thing and be the one?
DANIEL BERGER: You know, I didn't try to focus on that too much. I just tried to focus on winning my match. There were some hard matches early on and I knew that they were going to be tough. Strick came up to me on 16 and told me the half a point was good enough, and then I just wanted to close out that match. It was an amazing week and I feel excited for everyone, on the team.

Q. Talk about the International Team. They gave you some good matches and fought very hard.
DANIEL BERGER: Absolutely. When you look at their team, it didn't come down to they weren't better players. It just came down to we played better at the right time. We won some important matches down the stretch that really made a big difference, and that was kind of the turning point.

Q. What did it feel like to clinch The Presidents Cup for the U.S.?
DANIEL BERGER: It was very exciting. I've never been a part of a team like this before. We've come together so nicely this week. Captain Stricker did such an amazing job of pairings and really getting us together as a team and that's what made the difference.

Q. What are some of the things you've learned this week about playing with your fellow players and opposite against the international guys?
DANIEL BERGER: You know, I learned that it takes a lot to win matches against these guys because they are really, really good. You have to be on your game or else you don't get the win.

Today and this week, we were a little bit better, but I expect in a couple years in Australia, it's going to be really tough.

You dream of moments like this to be able to clinch the winning point for your American side, and it was a team effort, though. I got two points for us, but there's so many guys that played so well this week. You know, if it wasn't me, it was going to be someone else, so I'm just happy to be a part of this team.

Q. It fits because you have such a great mentality for match play. It seems like you could do this for the rest of your life. Is this the first of many for you?
DANIEL BERGER: I hope so. After that practice session I did for The Ryder Cup a couple years ago, I knew I didn't want to miss any of these team events. I'm happy that I played well enough to get into this one, and I hope that I continue to play well, and hopefully ten, 15 years down the road, I have hundreds of matches under my belt.

Q. How much did you want to do this for Captain Stricker?
DANIEL BERGER: A lot. He's meant so much to us. He's really led us with a sense of class and I'm going to remember this for a long time.

Q. Quick comments on what it means to be the youngest person ever to clinch The Presidents Cup?
DANIEL BERGER: It's special. It's pretty cool just to be part of the team and obviously to win it for us is amazing. It was a team effort. It didn't come down to just me.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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