Daniel Berger moved up to No. 10 in the FedExCup rankings with his win at the 2021 Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Sunday in Pebble Beach, Calif. File Photo by Corey Sipkin/UPI |
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Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Daniel Berger -- the No. 13 golfer in the world -- sank a 30-foot putt for eagle to seal a dramatic victory at the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The long putt helped Berger win the PGA Tour tournament by two strokes.
"That was one of the best finishing holes that I've ever played," Berger told reporters on Sunday in Pebble Beach, Calif. "To step up there and hit a great drive and to make that putt was as good as it gets for me."
Berger stepped up to the 18th tee box at Pebble Beach Golf Links tied for the final-round lead with Maverick McNealy. He pulled out his three wood and smashed a 276-yard drive to start the 526-yard hole. He then hit a 253-yard shot onto the green with his four iron.
Berger then stood on the green and slapped a putt from right to left. The shot then dropped into the hole, which prompted a Berger fist pump. He finished the day with a seven-under par score of 65. McNealy shot a 66 over his final 18 holes.
Berger finished the tournament at 18 under par, followed by McNealy (-16), Patrick Cantlay (-15), Jordan Spieth (-15), Paul Casey (-14) and Nate Lashley (-14).
The win helped Berger move up to No. 10 in the FedExCup rankings.
"I think [the win] really solidified my position as one of the best golfers out there," Berger said. "I just need to continue to do the the things I've been doing. I feel like there is no limit to what I can accomplish."
Spieth entered the round with a two-stroke lead on the field. He carded a par and a birdie, respectively, on his first two holes of the final round.
He then made bogey on two of his next three holes. Spieth was even par through his first nine holes. He made par on five of his final nine holes. He also had two birdies and a bogey on the back nine.
"I got off to the exact kind of start I wanted to," Spieth told reporters. "I hit two great putts, that could very easily have dropped, but didn't. ... I got some really good breaks the first few days, but it felt like [my luck] started to even out over the first five holes.
"It was tough from there once I lost the lead. It was a really poor first six holes."
Berger, who was two strokes behind Spieth to begin the day, also made par on No. 1. He then eagled No. 2 and birdied No. 3. Berger was three-under par on the front nine. He had two birdies and an eagle on the back nine and did not record a single bogey down the stretch.
Cantlay, the highest-ranked player at the tournament, moved from No. 11 to No. 8 in the Official World Golf Ranking due to his play at Pebble Beach. Berger moved up from No. 15.
Former FedExCup champion Jason Day (No. 47) tied for seventh place. Defending champion Nick Taylor tied for 39th.
Brandt Snedeker, Bill Haas and Phil Mickelson -- a five-time champion -- were among those who missed the third-round cut.
"My goal has always been to be the No. 1 player in the world," Berger said. "Some people will laugh at that and that's fine. Everyday I wake up I strive for it."
The 2021 edition of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am did not feature a single player ranked inside the Top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking when it teed off.
The tournament also did not feature amateur players or celebrities due to COVID-19 restrictions. Fans also weren't allowed to attend the tournament because of COVID-19-related safety restrictions in Monterey County, Calif.
The PGA Tour season continues with the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek from Thursday through Sunday at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas.