Daniel Berger did not start the PGA Tour for nearly 18 months after missing a cut at Brookline's 2022 US Open. A back injury debilitated him during this period, during which he worked throughout “the worst six months of his life.”
He returned to the competition last year at the American Express in Coachella Valley, where he tied him to 39th place. former Florida The Seminoles played 26 more times in 2024, making 15 cuts.
But it took him a while to find his groove and regain every aspect of his game. He finally feels 100% healthy, and his recent form reflects that. Berger arrived at Cognizant Classic this week at Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach, fresh from a T-2 finish at WM Phoenix Open, finishing 12th in Genesis Invitational.
Before the first round, Berger spoke to the media and revealed which parts of his game were back the longest.
“I'm definitely going to say the speed of the club's head,” Burger said Wednesday.
“Over a year ago, I was rocking about 106 mph, which doesn't lead to a long drive. It probably took me eight or nine months to get back to the heights of the 119 and 120s. So now I feel like I can compete with others. Hitting the ball is a huge advantage – I'm not long at all, but getting into that 300 carry number was a big deal for me. I was able to take the bunker out of play six months ago. Statistically, I think I've been pretty high in driving accuracy and total driving over the last few years. That's why playing on the fairway was so big for me last year.”
Burger averaged 298 yards away from 298 yards last year. He finished 118th on the PGA Tour.
This year is a different story. He has already added nine yards, averaging 307 yards from the tee in five events he played this season. His driving distance average is currently ranked 62nd on the PGA Tour, a severe improvement from last year. He explained that taking a different approach to his training was an important reason why he regained his speed.
“I hired a new strength and conditioning coach who has a lot of experience in it. I trained completely differently than before. I really didn't like working out. That wasn't something I really enjoyed. Now I understand how important it is to my health and my overall golf game,” Burger explained.
“I do much heavier lifting. I move aggressively faster, I do speed training that I'm trying to fire quickly. Even though I was just practicing the ball hard, I didn't go into driving range and tee 10 balls and hit it as hard as I could. You go up to par 5 and say, 'I'm going to hit this as hard as I can,' but if you've never done it before, you don't have that muscle memory and that fast intensity in your brain to fire at that speed. So I translate it more frequently. ”
If you're a golfer and you're going to suffer a back injury like a burger, you need patience first and foremost. It takes time to rediscover all the nuances of your swing, but what you should go back to the end will definitely be your distance.
Jack Mirco is a golf staff writer who plays SB Nation. Follow him with x @jack_milko.
