TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

September 5, 2021

Daniel Berger

East Lake Golf Club

Quick Quotes

DANIEL BERGER: I played well all year and body didn't feel great first couple events, and felt like I turned the corner late in the week which is unfortunate because the game was in a good spot. Didn't feel like I could swing the way I wanted to.

It's nice to close out with a good round and have some positive momentum going forward. I'm playing great golf. Just need to continue doing the same things I've been doing all year.

Q. Thinking about The Ryder Cup?

DANIEL BERGER: I've been thinking about it for a long time. I want to be a part of that team. Obviously I'm going to need a captain's pick and there's a lot of great guys, a lot of great players that are vying for these six spots, so hopefully I've done enough in the last two years to show Captain Stricker what I bring to the team and what I can do for them.

Q. Has there been any discussion about letting you know?

DANIEL BERGER: I honestly have no idea. I saw Strick early on this week, and we chatted for a little bit. I've been exchanging text messages about possible pairings and groupings, but the one thing he kind of was key on telling me is this week isn't necessarily going to be a factor on whether I get picked or not, which I believe him. Honestly I think if someone were to play really, really well, that may be a factor.

There's some guys that are playing well, Kevin Na, Billy Horschel. I think that you have to look at your overall season or two seasons when he makes that decision, and I think whoever he picks is going to be the right pick. It's tough to go wrong with the names that are on that list.

Q. The fact that you're exchanging texts about pairings seems like a good sign.

DANIEL BERGER: It's definitely positive. Like I said, he never said, you're on the team, you're not on the team. He just said continue to play well, and hopefully -- it was just nice to finish on a good note rather than kind of come in. It was just nice to play well today.

Q. You're a veteran up here now. What's your sense about where the FedExCup ranks?

DANIEL BERGER: I think it's right there with a major championship. You win the FedExCup, you've played an unbelievable year and you walk away with $15 million in cash. So I don't really know, it's tough to say I'd rather win a major than the FedExCup. Someone's going to be the FedExCup Champion at the end of the week.

Q. Is it a matter of pride for next season, that you were the best the whole year?

DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, that's the goal is to win the FedExCup when you tee off in the first event of the year. If you've done that, you've had an incredible year, especially with the likes of the players that are here this week. Obviously everyone's played really well all year. I don't really think you could end the season in a better way than to win the FedExCup.

Q. What do you think you would bring to the team?

DANIEL BERGER: I think I'm really good friends with just about everybody that's in the Top 15 on that list, and I feel like I can play with anybody. My game kind of suits all different kind of courses, short, long. I think I drive the ball really well. I putt really well. I chip really well.

This year I've done a lot of work improving my iron play and that's shown, and scoring average, I think I'm Top-10 in scoring average. When you look at my overall golf game, there's not really any areas that I have a weakness in. I think that's always a nice thing to have on the team.

I'm low key and very chill and I'm good friends with everybody on the team. I don't think anyone dislikes me on the team, and I just think it's nice to have some young guys in there. Obviously there's a lot of young guys that have made the team this year that are potentially going to be picked, but I think we're starting to come into the Ryder Cup where young is okay. You don't have to have the veteran guys out there. I think an example would be Collin Morikawa. He's never played in a Ryder Cup but he's won two majors. He's got a lot of skill.

Q. (On pace of schedule.)

DANIEL BERGER: I tried to do a better job this year of picking events on my schedule to feel my best at the end of the year and in the Playoffs and I haven't done that great of a job in years past. I just think there's so much pressure and there's just such big events, it's hard to not be tired at the end of the week because you're grinding on every single shot and every shot means so much.

I've got to look back at what is the best way for me to go about these Playoffs because I haven't played the best of my ability I think when it comes around to the Playoffs. Not necessarily because the events feel too big or anything. Just my body is starting to break down by the 23rd, 24th event of the year. There's something I have to do in recovery and something I have to do in the middle of the season or when I take events off to get to this stage in the season and feel 100 percent.

I might just play one or two events in the fall and recover and spend some time at home. It's been a long time since I've had a vacation. Maybe go fishing or hang out by the beach and just take it easy.

Q. The way you describe yourself, is how people would describe Steve Stricker, too. Do you think you're two peas in a pod personality-wise?

DANIEL BERGER: Strick is very low-key, there's to other way to describe it. He's very even keel and doesn't have many ups and downs and I feel like that's how I am. Obviously in The Presidents Cup, the emotions get high and you have a lot more fist pumps and a lot more screams than you would in a regular already event but it's nothing I'm unfamiliar with.