Daniel Berger - © AP

The PGA TOUR made a comeback at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Berger stayed in the par until the 17th hole and won on the first playoff hole when Collin Morikawa missed a 91cm putt.

Berger finished with a score of 66 (-4), his 28th consecutive round in par or better.

Even in the last hour, half a dozen players were still in the game. All that was missing was the sound and energy of a grandstand, as the PGA TOUR did not allow spectators to participate in the first five events.

It's a 3rd win for Daniel Berger - but not in circumstances like this. It was the first PGA TOUR event since March 12, when the spread of the new coronavirus put an end to golf and all sporting disciplines.

From the lack of positive tests to a suspenseful finish at the legendary Colonial Country Club, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan set the tone for the week by declaring: "It was a phenomenal start to our return".

Morikawa was just as consistent. Since graduating from Cal a year ago, he's made every cut in a streak of 21 events, the longest streak by a newcomer since Tiger Woods.

He shared the lead after a 15-yard putt on the 14th hole. It was the shorter ones that hurt. Morikawa notably missed a birdie putt of 1m82 on the 18th hole.

Daniel Berger was the only one to assure, making a birdie with a putt of 3 meters on the last hole, which placed him at 265 (-15). The last time Daniel Berger was in a playoff, Jordan Spieth pulled out of the bunker to beat him in the Travelers Championship. He was therefore able to feel what Morikawa experienced during his defeat.

"It'll hurt for a little while, but he's going to get over it and he's going to win again", said Daniel Berger. Even the optimism of being back in golf didn't ease the sting.

Xander ScHotele has given new meaning to the expression "Horrible iron" at the Colonial.

A ball in the water on the 15 from a fairway bunker, hit a poor chip after the penalty stroke and then hit 9 yards out with a bogey. He followed with a birdie of 7,6 meters to come back and share the lead. Then his 91cm putt on the 17th hole went in on one side and out on the other. The playoff came close, finishing with a card of 69.

Bryson DeChambeau broke down as his 3,65-meter birdie putt on the 18 narrowly missed, giving him a score of 66 and depriving him of one stroke to make the playoff. Ditto for Justin Rose, whose birdie of 5,48cm on the last hole was narrowly missed. He also had a score of 66. Jason Kokrak finished well ahead of everyone else. He also missed a birdie on the last hole of his 64 round.

Spieth, trying to put an end to three years without a win, came away with progress as a consolation prize. He missed a 60cm putt for the par at the sixth hole - a three-bogeys streak over four holes - but he stayed in the game until an out-of-bounds tee shot at 14. Even then, he did. a 10-yard putt to save the bogey. He ended up with a score of 71 to share 10th place.

Rory McIlroy was in seven tournaments in a row forever less than fifth place, a streak that came to a standstill. Entering the last round three strokes behind, he was 5 over par for seven holes and finished with a 74 card tied for 32nd place.

The last round was as wild as expected, eight players taking turns leading the way, without the fans being able to give an idea of ​​what was going on.

"If there had been an audience and all that goes with it, I would probably have been a little more upset"said Schauffele. “Maybe that's a good thing for me right now. But it was really weird. It was kind of an internal battle, which is still the case for me, but more so this week, without any fans ”.

Monahan conceded that his biggest worry at the start of the week, even with his testing and safety procedure, was the appearance of positive tests. "It's something, frankly, that made me lose a lot of sleep in the weeks leading up to my arrival", did he declare.

The 487 tests carried out at the Colonial were all negative, and golf lived up to its promise with a plateau full of stars and half a dozen players still in the running at the last hour.

The next stop is the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head on the coast of South Carolina. Monahan said the first week will not be complete before seeing how the players will have handled their interstate travel. Those arriving on charter were tested for the new coronavirus after the third round. All others will be tested upon arrival at Hilton Head.

"This is a lasting return"said Monahan. “But I think there is no doubt that this week has been exceptional. "

To know more : https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/charles-schwab-challenge.html

To read our previous article on the same subject :

Charles Schwab Challenge: highlights of the first round of Harold Varner III