PEBBLE BEACH, California – Daniel Berger quickly got into trouble with an eagle and finished with an even better one, hitting a 30-foot putt on par 5 18 for a 7 under 65 and a two-shot victory Sunday at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro- Am.
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Berger won for the second time since the PGA TOUR returned to pandemic golf COVID-19, starting with a playoff victory at Colonial last June.
This was another wild chase on a cold, windy day across the Pacific, and Jordan Spieth went from being a leader to a latecomer. He went from a two-shot lead to a deficit of three shots in six holes, moving from the main character to a supporting role. Spieth birdied in the last two holes for a 70 to tie for third with Patrick Cantlay (68).
Maverick McNealy, who played at Stanford and lived in a house near the 15th green on Pebble Beach, made five birdies on his last eight holes for a 66 and was tied for the lead after his 18th-century eagle shot stopped inches away.
Berger was in the group behind him and fired a fairway metal into the heart of green 18, 30 feet away. He only needed two putts for the birdie to win and instead ended with a special touch.
“It was the best shot I’ve ever had in my life,” said Berger.
Berger finished 18 under 270 for his fourth career PGA TOUR victory.
Spieth finished in the top four for the second week in a row, a strong sign that his game is returning after a drought that dates back to his 2017 Open victory at Royal Birkdale.
The real headache belonged to Nate Lashley.
Lashley, playing in the final group with Spieth, almost pierced his wedge on the 11th for a birdie that took him under 16 and led by one shot. He was tied with Berger with three holes to play when Lashley came in long on the 16th hole.
He shot 3.6 meters, missed the putt pair and then missed the next two putts in the 3-foot range. This gave him a triple bogey from which he could not recover.
Berger was out of the top 100 in the world when golf returned last June, while he was trying to recover from injuries.
Cantlay was again irritated by the greens of Pebble Beach. He hit five putts from within the 15-foot range on the back nine, most seeming to have a chance.
Berger hit the iron 229 yards for 20 feet and rolled on the eagle stroke in the par 5 second hole to catch Spieth early, and he followed with an aggressive move that left a 5 foot flip wedge for birdie at No. 3 He made three eagle strokes that day, narrowly missing a 10-foot attempt at the sixth hole.
Lashley silently entered the containment with such attention on Spieth. Cantlay was never far away. McNealy showed up late with his 31 on the back nine.
“I had the adrenaline pumping down the line and feelings I hadn’t felt on the golf course in a while, trying to end this and give myself a chance,” said McNealy.
Ultimately, Berger was in a position to win and he delivered an eagle that he won’t soon forget.