Berger, out since '22 U.S. Open, enters American Express
Daniel Berger is set to make his return to competitive golf.
The 30-year-old Berger, who hasn’t played a tournament since missing the cut at the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club because of a back injury, has entered the field for next week’s American Express, GolfChannel.com has learned
Berger told The Associated Press last May that he was diagnosed with a slight bulge in a lower disc and deep bone sensitivity, and he had been following a rehab program created by Canadian professor Stuart McGill, an expert in biomechanics of the spine.
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A look at the full field for The American Express, the PGA Tour’s third event of the season.
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He signed up for last year’s U.S. Open final qualifier in South Florida, but he eventually withdrew before hitting a shot.
Berger was No. 25 in the world rankings when he last teed it up. He is now No. 634, and is playing out of a category for tournament winners (he's exempt through 2024), though with no guaranteed starts in the majors or signature events.
“That’s the tough part,” Berger told the AP. “When I took time off, I was a top-20 player. I’ll be coming back with nothing. I get it – it’s part of the game. You’ve got to earn everything. When I come back, I’ll come back with fire in my belly. I’ll enjoy the challenge of getting back to where I was.”
Berger also posted a swing video to his Instagram story on Thursday. The AmEx begins Thursday at three different courses in La Quinta, California.
As for the rest of the field, a week after more than half of last year’s Korn Ferry Tour and Q-School graduates were shut out of the Sony Open, not all of them are currently in the 156-player AmEx. Hayden Springer, the fifth and final Q-School grad, was first alternate as of Thursday evening.
