The Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn.—Killing time during a three-hour rain delay yesterday, Phil Mickelson ribbed Daniel Berger about having won the PGA Tour rookie-of-the-year award without a victory.
That was a bit of a sore spot for the ultra-competitive 23-year-old Floridian.
Berger answered once the thunderstorms ended by winning the FedEx St. Jude Classic for his first title.
He shot a three-under 67 to hold off Mickelson, Steve Stricker, and Brooks Koepka by three strokes.
“To kind of get it done today means a lot,” Berger said, who had never been in a final pairing until yesterday.
First Mickelson needled him in the players’ dining area while everyone waited out the lightning. Then Mickelson, with his 42 career PGA Tour titles, closed within a stroke on the back nine.
But Berger responded with birdies on three of his next four holes—highlighted by a 32-foot putt on the par-three 14th that pushed his lead to 13-under.
He finished at 13-under 267. He became the 13th first-time winner on tour this season and took home the winner’s cheque of $1.1 million in the 50th start of his career.
“To do that with so many great players, Hall-of-Famers behind me, it’s something that I’ll never forget, and I just love the way I hung in there and was able to get it done,” Berger said.
Mickelson and Stricker both shot 67 yesterday while Koepka had a 66.
Dustin Johnson had a 63—setting the back-nine record with a 29—to finish fifth at nine-under.
David Hearn, of Brantford, Ont., shot an even-par 70 in his fourth round and finished the tournament in a tie for 41st at one-over 281.
Mickelson complimented Berger for playing the back nine really well, and said he enjoyed being in contention even though the veteran couldn’t quite catch the youngster.
“For the most part, I hit a lot of good shots, played pretty well, and seems it almost feels like U.S. Open came a week early to finish another second place,” Mickelson said.
Berger also became the fourth first-time winner at this event in the past six years and 10th overall in Memphis.
Now he will head to Oakmont this week trying to do something no one has ever done before by following up a tour title by winning the U.S. Open.
Only 11 have ever won a major after winning on tour. Rory McIlroy was the last when he won the PGA Championship the week after taking the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2014.
He’ll be arriving pretty confident, too.
“When I played in the Masters for the first time, I think I finished 10th, five shots behind, and didn’t really play that great,” Berger noted.
“So, you know if I can go in there [this] week and play good, then obviously I have what it takes to get the ‘W.’”
