Daniel Berger leads after round one of the 2012 Dixie Amateur
Daniel Berger fired a career-best nine-under par 63, in the opening round of the 2012 Dixie Amateur, to take the top spot on the leaderboard, on Tuesday, December 18, 2012.
The tournament is being staged at the Heron Bay in Coral Springs, featuring some of the best amateurs from the region.
The 19-year-old sophomore at Florida State got off to a flying start, as he birdies each of the first four holes that he played.
Later, he marked a similar ending, as he earned shots on each of the last three holes, to finish the day on a high note.
Talking to The Miami Herald after completing his round, he said that he tried to hit straight and created birdie chances. Thereafter, he complemented that with his amazing putting skills.
According to him, hitting the fairways was the key to success, especially when the winds were blowing strongly on the course.
“When you shoot 63, everything works,” said Berger, whose previous best competitive round was a 64. “I hit it straight, and I made putts. The greens were nice. Some of the tee boxes were moved up from last year, maybe in anticipation of the wind. But you still have to go out and make birdies”.
In total, he carded 10 birdies against a lone bogey, to finish three strokes ahead of his long-time rival Curtis Thompson of Coral Springs.
Last year, the Jupiter resident finished second at the 2011 Dixie Amateur, after finishing one stroke behind Thompson.
He now appears to be moving on the right track, in a bid to take the revenge of his last year’s defeat.
Talking about his rivalry against Thompson, he admitted that the LSU sophomore mostly dominates him in the tournaments that they play together.
However, the past two years have witnessed him getting in contention more often, which is a good sign, as Berger seems to be making improvements in his game.
“We’ve been playing golf together since we were 12 years old,” Berger said of his relationship with Thompson. “I’d say as a junior, he’s kicked my butt more often, but it’s gotten closer over the past couple years”.
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