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THE HONDA CLASSIC

February 23, 2016

Daniel Berger

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

DOUG MILNE: We'll get started, Danny Berger, thanks for joining us for a few minutes prior to the start of the 2016 Honda Classic. Obviously a place that brings back good memories, not ideal, but good memories, certainly, with the playoff last year, and with your hometown ties.

So with that said, just a few comments on being back here at The Honda Classic this year.

DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, this is always one of tournaments that I look forward to, especially getting to sleep in my own bed and make breakfast in my own kitchen. It's just real comfortable for me. I've grown up playing PGA National. A lot of my buddies play out here. It's just fun to get back and see all my friends come out and support me.

DOUG MILNE: What are you feeling most confident with as you're heading into the week? What have you been working on that seems to be working well?

DANIEL BERGER: I think just the familiarity of PGA National. No matter how bad I'm playing coming into this week, I always somehow just turn it around and feel good. I know last week, kind of the same story. I played a little bit better on the West Coast but it doesn't matter how you're playing coming into this week.

Just to be on the range and I've been on that driving range a million times in my life when I was 14, 15, 16 years old, it just brings back good memories. It's fun for me. Regardless of how I play this week, it's just a fun tournament.

DOUG MILNE: And last question, in addition to the playoff here, you went on and you finished second at the BMW Championship in route to the PGA Player of the Year honors. Does that put you in a whole different mind-set now with that accolade under your belt?

DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, I fell like when you have a good year, you always want to, as a competitor, you always want to do better the next year, which obviously PUTS a little bit more pressure on you.

You know, like last year when I came into this week, I just really didn't care how I played. I didn't really play that good and then the next thing you know, on Monday, I'm in there with a chance to win. I learned a little bit from that.

Going to try to do the same thing. Just keep the expectations real low and have some fun and whatever happens, happens. It's just nice to be home and be around family and friends.

Q. Can you just talk about, you're one of so many young players out here now that are having tremendous success. Does it help that there's a lot of you out here? Does it help build your confidence, and what kind of explanation is there for so many 22-, 23-year-old guys?
DANIEL BERGER: I think it all comes down to how competitive it was in amateur golf and college golf. I mean, these are the guys that we were playing against at the collegiate level, at the amateur level. If you want to be successful, then you have to work really hard, and when you see these other guys doing so well, it kind of gets you motivated to work harder.

I mean, it's really nice to have some of the younger guys out here to go to dinner and hang out with and play practice rounds with. But the same goes with the older guys. They are very helpful and they are nice. I haven't met one guy out here that hasn't been willing to help me out if I've had a question or if I've needed something.

Q. How often did you come here as a kid? You obviously grew up playing here, but how often did you come to the tournament? Any cool memories or anything like that that stand out?
DANIEL BERGER: I've been in Jupiter for the last ten years, but South Florida my whole life. I had a couple buddies I remember out here, and we always used to sneak out here and we wouldn't pay the dues and we would just grab a cart and just go. I mean, I don't think they would like that but we did it anyway (laughter). Late afternoon, right at sunset, playing nine holes right before it got dark. It's kind of what we did on the weekends.

The last memory, other than the Honda that I had, before that, was probably the Polo Junior Classic where it was kind of like the first invitational that I got into and I played really well. I think I lost in the quarterfinals to Anthony Paolucci on 17.

I just have a lot of great memories, mostly with my friends coming out here, playing money games, just having a good time and just enjoying the course, because it's always in great shape.

Q. How much did you go to the tournament? I know the tournament moved around a lot when you were a kid, but how much did you go to it as a kid?
DANIEL BERGER: I went to it a lot since it's been at PGA National. I grew up playing golf with Steve Marino, and he played in this tournament every year, so I would go out and watch him. It was kind of cool to, it seemed like a really big stage when I was younger. All the people, everyone following the leaders. I was one of those kids out there following them and to be out here and see other young kids following me and watching, it's pretty cool.

Q. Do you remember your first one?
DANIEL BERGER: First?

Q. First time going to this tournament as a fan.
DANIEL BERGER: No, probably three or four years ago. Four years ago, yeah, when I was 17, 16.

Q. Do you still play most of your golf at Dye Preserve?
DANIEL BERGER: I do. Dye Preserve is like my second family. They treat me so nice. I grew up picking the range there, as you guys know, and you know, even when I wasn't working there and I was in college and they let me come out there and practice and do whatever I wanted, and then when I made a little bit of money and was able to join out there.

It's like my second family. The owner, Joe Webster, treats me like a son almost. They let me do whatever I want, play music, do whatever I want, bring whoever I want out. It's a really good vibe out there.

Q. Talk about the facility and also the fact that a lot of other guys play out there.
DANIEL BERGER: When you're trying to get better, you've got to surround yourself with guys that are trying to do the same thing. To be able to play competitive money games, is really important, especially on a course that's TOUR-like. The greens are always fast. The course is great, and they just added a new hitting bay in there so we can work on TrakMan. Just anything you need to do, you can do it out there, which is important.

Q. You said you learned a lot from last year's event. What specifically did you take out of it that's made you a better golfer?
DANIEL BERGER: I think the expectations. I can't remember a time that I came into a tournament wanting to play really well and I ended up playing really well. Usually when I don't care, I end up playing well.

Like I said, I honestly didn't play that good last year. I played good to a certain extent but really, other than that final round, it was just kind of average golf. But that's kind of the difference. I didn't really care that much. Came in there. It was a Monday finish. I was like, I don't really have a shot here and just had some fun on Monday. Next thing I know, I shoot 64 and have a chance to win.

Q. Does that mean you're going into this week not caring?
DANIEL BERGER: Obviously I care (laughter) we're playing for $9 million here. I care. But almost tricking myself, pretending like it doesn't matter, even though it does to me. I mean, every week I tee it up, I want to play really well. But like I said, I've never gone into a week wanting to play really well and playing really well. Keeping the expectations low is really important for me.

Q. Speaking of which, whether it was here or BMW, another big moment for you, did you find your expectations of yourself changing over the course of last year?
DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, for sure. Obviously I played well on the West Coast. Had a chance to win here. And my expectations were really low. And then, you know, I get in the Top 15 in the FedExCup and I'm like, oh, maybe I'm good enough to be out here. And.

Then my expectations get really high and I go on a stretch where, you know, I miss six of, whatever, eight cuts. And then that kind of was a reality check, like let's go back to what I was doing and stop caring anymore, and you know, finish 11th in the FedExCup. So it seems like a trend when I keep the expectations low, I seem to play well.

Q. What's the flipside of that? How good do you think you are?
DANIEL BERGER: I know I'm really good. I'm 55 in the world now at 22 years old. I don't think last year was the best year that I could have had.

I think this year, being into all the majors, being into all the WGCs, is a confidence-booster for me knowing that I have those extra tournaments that I didn't have last year.

And then just kind of hanging in there when things aren't quite going as they planned. Like I said, in that stretch last year, I was changing things. I was trying to do different things when my game wasn't that off; it was just a putt here or a putt there from going in and making the difference.

Q. So I guess what I'm trying to get at is how do you balance trying to keep expectations at a reasonable level and knowing you're good enough to beat anyone you shake hands with on the first tee?
DANIEL BERGER: I think it comes down to preparation. When I prepare right, I have that confidence going in that I don't really have to care and I can just do what I've been doing and everything's going to be good.

When preparation doesn't go quite as I want it to, then you kind of get those thoughts in the back of your head like is this right, am I doing everything that I want to do, and then that makes it tougher to go and play well.

Q. All that said, was there any kind of sort of hangover from last year, given the way it ended? How long did it take you to kind of get over it?
DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, well, we finished THE TOUR Championship and two weeks later we were in Fry's.

Q. Sorry, I meant here.
DANIEL BERGER: Yeah, there was definitely a little bit of a hangover. I mean, obviously I didn't play Puerto Rico the next week, but I played Tampa. Came in, again, expectations really high. Just lost in a playoff and ended up missing the cut. But then as the next week went on, I kind of got back into that low expectations. I know I'm repeating that often, but that's just the way I go about my game.

Played well at Bay Hill, finished 10th and as the year went on, I played even better.

Q. You're talking about those expectations again, and getting into all the majors this year, you're going to the Masters for the first time. A 22-year-old won it last year; do you try to go in there thinking, hey, you know what, I can compete in this tournament, or are you going to go in there and try to keep all expectations out of your mind?
DANIEL BERGER: I'm going to go in there with the mind-set that if I play well, I can compete to win. But it's really, really hard when you put extra pressure on yourself to play well to hit solid shots. I mean, you're just -- it's really hard.

So I'm going to repeat it again and again, but I'm going to keep the expectations real low. It's my first time I'm going to be there, so I'm just going to have fun and enjoy it and do everything that I would do on a regular week.

Q. What do you expect lunch will taste like today? I'm just kidding. Your picture is on the cover of the media guide. Do you have a copy?
DANIEL BERGER: I do not, know.

Q. Do you want one?
DANIEL BERGER: Yeah. I'll take one, Doug.

DOUG MILNE: Okay. You got it.

Q. There have been some like reports that Tiger Woods has been struggling with his back issues lately. When you talked earlier about you know what it's like being among this group of younger golfers, for someone who has grown up watching Tiger, what's it like for you guys to see him struggling with health issues like that?
DANIEL BERGER: To me, it's sad, because I love Tiger Woods. I think he's the reason why any young player plays golf. Last year was my first year on TOUR, and there was really only two or three events that I played in that he was in. And obviously, you want to play against the best players in the world and Tiger Woods is the greatest player to ever play.

I want to play every single week that he's playing, and it sucks that he's not playing right now but hopefully he's going to get healthy and he'll be back, and I have no doubt that he's going to win again.

Q. And also, you're from around here, you can see outside the weather is not the best today. Being from around here, how do you see -- how used to it are you that the weather just changes every ten minutes?
DANIEL BERGER: I grew up in South Florida. It's going to rain; it's going to blow, but I'd rather play in the rain than the cold. This is perfect for me. I like it when it blows 25 I've grown up and hit shots in this condition. It's going to be fun for me no matter what the conditions are.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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