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RBC HERITAGEApril 18, 2019Daniel BergerHilton Head, South Carolina Q. Just the one bogey at the par-3, 4th, six birdies. What were the conditions like when you started this morning? DANIEL BERGER: They were favorable when we started. And then when we started to make the turn on the back nine the wind picked up a little bit. It's a challenging golf course. You really have to stay on your game the whole time. You can't really ever let up. There's too many difficult shots out there. Q. What's the key for you when you play this golf course? DANIEL BERGER: I like flighting the ball. I like hitting balls really well. I like shaping it. This is the exact golf course that you're going to see and you're going to have to do that. It really fits my eye. I'm kind of bummed I've taken so many years off playing it. Not being in the Masters, I knew that I wanted to come play here. Q. You had the runner-up finish in Puerto Rico. How much confidence has that given you going forward? DANIEL BERGER: It's been nice. I took almost six months off at the end of last year after Boston. I hurt my finger. And it's just been kind of touch and go here. And finally got a full week of practice where I actually got to play golf every day. That's just the biggest difference. When you're going to a golf tournament and you've played one round of golf in two weeks you don't feel very good. To be able to put the work in and be rewarded it makes me feel like I'm ready to go when I get out here. Q. Fantastic opening round. A couple of key weapons in the bag today. Let's start with the putter right now, leading the field in strokes gained. What is it about the greens, about the day that sort of helped you roll the ball well? DANIEL BERGER: I put some really good work leading up to it. And I felt like my speed was really on point. And that's kind of been the biggest difference for me. The last couple of weeks I've just been inconsistent. To roll the ball where you're looking and hit it as hard as you want is usually -- you're going to get some good results. Q. The other good weapon, the driver, you're 16th this season in strokes gained off the tee. 31st in driving accuracy. How important is is that club on this golf course? DANIEL BERGER: It's really important. There's a lot of doglegs and when the wind picks up you have to be able to flight the ball underneath the tees. And that's how I grew up playing in South Florida, hitting the low shots, hitting big cuts, big draws. I'm kind of bummed I didn't get to play here the last couple of years, but I'm excited to be back. Q. A two-time winner on the PGA Tour, finished tied for second a few weeks ago in Puerto Rico. I know you're a competitor and grinder and want to get back in the winner's circle. You feel like your game is turning and how much did that Puerto Rico finish help your confidence? DANIEL BERGER: You know, it was really important for me. I hadn't played a lot of golf at the end of last year. I hurt my finger and I really wanted to get some reps under my belt, so I went over to Puerto Rico and played well there. It's just nice to be playing pain free. That's something you take for granted. To be able to go out there, play golf, feel good, is really nice. Q. How does it feel to open the day shooting 5-under? DANIEL BERGER: It's nice. I've put a lot of good work in early in the week. I prepared well. The rest is just kind of going out there and having fun. Q. After a bogey early on you come back with six birdies. That's got to feel good to have that comeback. DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, I mean that start kind of felt reminiscent of how the year has gone for me. I hung in there, maybe not like I would have a couple of weeks ago and battled it out and made some really nice putts for birdie. That was the difference. I found you have to be patient out here, especially on a golf course like this, where the wind is really tricky. I kind of hung in there and made some nice putts. Q. You brought up the wind. How would you describe today's playing conditions in Harbour Town? DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, it changes all the time. You're never really sure what's going on. It reminds me of the 12th at Augusta. You think the wind is going one direction and it's actually going another. You have to really trust yourself and know what the wind is doing is sometimes not going to be right and you're just not going to hit great shots every single time, but you've got to be prepared for that. Q. Everyone is talking about these conditions tomorrow and how treacherous they can be. Do you feel more confident you've given yourself a 5-under cushion? Did you feel like you were more aggressive than usual today to try to build a lead a lead just in case something happens? DANIEL BERGER: I honestly didn't even know what the forecast was tomorrow. But it's a 72-hole event. Regardless of what the conditions are tomorrow everyone is going to have to deal with it. And if it's challenging, it's challenging for everyone. So we just go out there and play the best we can. Q. A lot of players describe this tournament as a vacation coming from the Masters. How would you describe the energy here? DANIEL BERGER: It's not a vacation for me, because I didn't play in the Masters. So it's business as usual. I'm here to compete and play the best that I can. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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