Daniel Berger Wins Charles Schwab Challenge, 1st PGA Tour Event Amid Pandemic

After an absence of PGA Tour golf for three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was only fitting that the sport provided some extra action in the form of a playoff Sunday at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. 

It was Daniel Berger who won his showdown with Collin Morikawa on the first extra hole. 

It was a heartbreaker for Morikawa, who lipped out a three-foot putt on No. 17 that would have moved the playoff to a second hole.   

It wasn't the only lip-out that contributed to Berger's win. Xander Schauffele also lipped out a putt on the 17th while holding a share of the lead. That miss, combined with a par on No. 18, kept him out of the playoff. 

While those misses contributed to his win, Berger was nonetheless excellent Sunday, with five birdies to just one bogey, shooting four-under par for the day and 15-under for the tournament. Per PGATour.com, he averaged 302 yards per drive with a 78.6 percent driving accuracy, hit 66.7 percent of greens in regulation and gained 1.1 strokes with his putting. 

And his birdie putt on No. 18 to move into a tie for the lead was as clutch as it gets:

"I don't really know if there is a key other than when I came back, I came back stronger than I ever have before, and I wanted it more than I ever have before, and it's the greatest feeling in the world," Berger said, per Nick Menta of GolfChannel.com, referencing the wrist injury he battled in 2018 and '19. 

It was unfortunate that Morikawa's afternoon was ultimately defined by one shot, as his 50-foot putt on No. 14 was the shot of the day outside of Berger's birdie on the 18th:

As for some of the other notable participants, Bubba Watson finished two strokes back (-13) after an impressive five-under showing. Ditto for Patrick Reed (-13), who shot three-under for the day.

Jordan Spieth (-11) had a rough day, starting out in the running but falling to the wayside after his one-over performance, while Rory McIlroy (-6) completely fell apart, shooting a four-over. 

Up next on the PGA Tour is the RBC Heritage (June 18-21) at the Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina.