KAPALUA, Hawaii – Daniel Berger finished 2016 with mixed emotions.
On the Monday of the Tour Championship, he joined a handful of other Ryder Cup hopefuls for a practice round at Hazeltine National, an audition for captain Davis Love III’s team that didn’t work out.
Berger didn’t receive Love’s last pick but did finish the year with a tie for 15th at the Tour Championship and a runner-up showing at the WGC-HSBC Champions. He also took with him into 2017, his third season on Tour, a newfound motivation.
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“To be so close, to play the Monday practice round with all the guys, that made me want it even more,” he said. “I felt like if it wasn’t for the six or seven weeks I had to take off because of my shoulder injury I probably would have had a better chance of making it.”
Berger, who opened with a 5-under 68 on Thursday at the SBS Tournament of Champions, is currently fifth on the U.S. Presidents Cup point list and doesn’t plan to come up short again.
“I hate being left out of things like that, it will be a great experience if I can continue to do what I’ve done the last year and half, two years, and hopefully captain [Steve] Stricker will see that,” he said.
