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How Daniel Berger became world class

By Bill Felber

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JUNE 14: Daniel Berger of the United States reacts to his birdie on the 18th green during the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge on June 14, 2020 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JUNE 14: Daniel Berger of the United States reacts to his birdie on the 18th green during the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge on June 14, 2020 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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The hottest player on Tour, Daniel Berger, has stepped up his short game, including at the Charles Schwab Challenge

What precisely has gotten into Daniel Berger?

It isn’t just his victory at this weekend’s Charles Schwab Challenge. Berger’s been top 10 in four consecutive events dating back to February’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. He hasn’t shot a competitive over-par round since last October.

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Berger’s 69.44 scoring average ranks 10th on tour; one year ago he was a full stroke higher and outside the top 30.

As you might guess from those numbers, the improvement in Berger’s game has been across-the-board. But since joining the tour five seasons ago, and particularly this year, the major improvements have been to his short game. In simple terms, Berger is a substantially better player from 20 yards in than he was as recently as a year ago.

The Strokes Gained data underlines Berger’s recent improvement. From 2015 through the current season to date, examine the table below, which shows Berger’s performance in Strokes Gained Around the Green and Strokes Gained Putting:

Year      SG Around            SG Putting                Total

2015       -0.217                    -0.193                    -0.410

2016       -0.100                    +0.175                   +0.075

2017       -0.061                    +0.196                   +0.135

2018       -0.166                    +0.180                   +0.014

2019       -0.029                    -0.430                    -0.459

2020       +0.183                   +0.509                   +0.692

At the Schwab Challenge, which he won in a playoff, Berger was a veritable object lesson in the importance of the putting game

Ironically, until this spring that aspect of his game had been a decided weakness. He picked up 1.292 Strokes Gained Putting per round at Colonial, the eighth best performance of the week.

By competitive golf standards, his new-found mastery of the greens is only a recent trend, but one that is paying off. When he tied for fourth at the Honda Classic in March, Berger ranked 17th in Strokes Gained Putting. At the Waste Management, where he tied for ninth, he was second in that category.

Berger saved his best short game for Sunday’s final round at Colonial. He needed just 27 putts to complete the 18 holes. His recovery shots were up to the same standard. Berger missed six of the 18 greens in regulation Sunday, yet recorded only one bogey.

His short game was supported Sunday, as it has been all week, by a superb approach game. Historically that has been a relative Berger strength, although his approach numbers – along with most of his other numbers – took a tumble in 2019. But this week he averaged +1.362 Strokes Gained Approaching The Greens per round, the field’s fifth best performance.

The improvement in his long game, while less dramatic, is also a part of the picture. Berger leaves Colonial averaging +0.36 Strokes Gained Off The Tee, his best showing since his 2015 season.

Next. Schwab Day 1 Best Color Was Green. dark

When you put all the parts together, it adds up to a seasonal average of 1.345 Strokes Gained, far and away a personal best. Just one year ago Berger had a slightly negative Strokes Gained total. He also won just $742,000, the worst season of his career. This season he had that total beat by Pebble Beach.

There may be a lot more to come.

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