MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Nobody has won a PGA Tour event and followed up by winning the U.S. Open the next week. Daniel Berger is confident enough in how he’s playing to believe he can make a little history.
Berger, the 2014-15 rookie of the year, won his first PGA title Sunday in his 50th event, and the 23-year-old Floridian held off Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker and Brooks Koepka by three strokes to finally hoist a trophy.
He’s driving the ball down the middle of the fairway and has his putter working very well as he heads to Oakmont.
“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,” Berger said Sunday night. “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.”
Only 11 have ever won a major after winning on tour, and Rory McIlroy was the last when he won the PGA Championship the week after taking the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2014.