Daniel Berger finishes runner-up in Phoenix, secures spot in first Signature Event since back injury

The road back from an injury like Daniel Berger’s is arduous.

It’s been more than a year since Berger made his first start back on TOUR. At that time, it had been 18 months since he initially stepped away from golf to address a debilitating back injury.

Now, finally, Berger is starting to feel like himself again. He looks the part, too.

Berger shot a final-round, 4-under 67 to finish runner-up to Thomas Detry at the WM Phoenix Open, marking Berger’s second runner-up in his last five starts. He was one of only a few players who threatened Detry’s virtuoso Sunday performance at TPC Scottsdale. And while Berger didn’t win, his showing secured him another notable post-surgery first: his first Signature Event appearance.

Berger earned a spot in The Genesis Invitational next week via the Aon Swing 5, thanks to his performance at TPC Scottsdale. Among the other four golfers who earned a spot in the field was Michael Kim, who finished runner-up along with Berger. It will be a homecoming for Kim, who grew up in the area and went to Torrey Pines High School.

“I asked for a sponsor exemption into Pebble Beach where the last time I played it I won, and two years in a row I didn't get that exemption,” Berger said, “so it kind of was a little chip on my shoulder to get it done without needing anyone's help, so I'm excited to go back.”

It’s another encouraging sign of Berger’s return. The American struggled to re-acclimate in 2024 as he relearned how his body reacts to TOUR life and his brain slowly remembered what it felt like to compete and contend.

He was 140th in the FedExCup standings after the TOUR Championship, having missed more cuts than he made and without a single top-10. He was outside the top 125 of the FedExCup, at risk of losing his card, until he finished runner-up in the season finale at The RSM Classic. That secured him another year on TOUR, but the former Ryder Cup star had his aspirations set much higher than battling along the periphery of the sort. He envisioned weeks like this one in contention at a rowdy TPC Scottsdale, fighting for his fifth TOUR win. And for weeks like next week, when the best players in the world will gather for the third Signature Event of the season.

“I feel healthy," Berger said. "I feel happy. I feel like I'm enjoying golf. It's been a while, but it's nice to not have any worries or any fears in my mind and just go out there and enjoy the round. At the end of the round, you tally up the score and whatever it is, it is.”

Berger was happy with his Sunday in Phoenix, saying he felt good about the round he played and the shots he hit under pressure. There was just no catching Detry, who birdied his last four holes to finish 24-under, seven shots clear of the runners-up. Berger made five birdies and one bogey.

The Aon Swing 5 rewards the top performers in the weeks before a Signature Event. The top five FedExCup points earners in the Sony Open in Hawaii, The American Express, Farmers Insurance Open and WM Phoenix Open who were not yet exempt into The Genesis Invitational were rewarded with spots in the field. Sam Stevens, Kim, J.J. Spaun and Andrew Novak were the next four names in the Aon Swing 5.

Stevens qualified off the strength of his runner-up finish at the Farmers Insurance Open and will now return to Torrey Pines, the site of his best TOUR finish. Stevens also finished T17 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, taking advantage of his exemption via the Aon Swing 5. It’s a very similar story for Novak, who finished third at Torrey Pines two weeks ago and parlayed that form into a T13 at Pebble Beach.

Spaun rode the momentum from the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he finished T3, followed by top-30 finishes at The American Express (T29) and Farmers Insurance Open (T15).