Charles Schwab Challenge winner Daniel Berger has described playing without on-site fans as being a “little different” as the PGA Tour made a triumphant return after a three-month hiatus.
The 27-year-old Floridian claimed his third PGA Tour title with a playoff win over Collin Morikawa at Colonial Country Club in Dallas, Texas, yesterday. Berger made birdie on the final regulation hole to set the clubhouse target of 15-under-par, then secured the win with a scrambling par on the first extra hole. Morikawa lipped out his own par attempt from three feet.
“You know, you definitely making a putt on the 18th hole to tie the lead and not hearing any roars is a little bit different. There are some holes where you get the crowd standing on the left to right side of the tee and where you kind of spray one, they’re kind of there. It just wasn’t like that, sad,” said Berger, whose last PGA Tour win came at the 2017 FedEx St Jude Classic in June 2017.
“Certain areas that are usually matted down from thousands of fans walking through weren’t there, and certain holes where the grandstands weren’t there, just gave you a little different feel than in past years.”
Berger, who suffered a wrist injury in 2018 and is playing on a major medical extension, was in excellent form earlier this year with top-10s in his last three starts before the season was halted. He lauded the PGA Tour and Colonial for putting up a good and safe show as men’s professional golf made a triumphant comeback.
“I think the PGA Tour did an unbelievable job. The staff at Colonial, the greenkeepers, everyone involved with making this tournament go did an unbelievable job.
“Overall the golf course was fantastic. The atmosphere in my opinion was fantastic, even though there weren’t any fans out there. You knew that millions of people were watching at home, and that was just enough for me,” said Berger.
