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Daniel Berger is making his first Masters appearance. (Getty)
While he is winless in his short professional golfing career, Daniel Berger has already put himself on the PGA map after being named the Tour’s Rookie of the Year in 2015.
But, like any competitive professional, it’s all about the wins. And by the looks of it, those are soon to follow for Berger.
The 23-year-old got off to a hot start in the opening round of the 2016 Masters and ended up finishing in a tie for 10th.
And as you’ll learn below, Berger comes from an athletic family.
In the meantime, here’s what you need to know about Berger:
1. Berger Was the 2015 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year
Despite missing the cut in seven consecutive events over last summer (June 7 through August 30), Berger was named the 2015 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.
He did, however, turn it on at the end of the year, with finishes of T12 (Deutsche Bank Championship), a 2nd (BMW Championship) and another T12 in the Tour Championship finale.
Berger played 31 events last year, making the cut 17 times with 13 top 25s and six top 10s. He finished 11th in the FedExCup standings and raked in $3,028,901 in prize money.
2. He Attended Florida State & Placed 2nd In the 2013 NCAA Championships
Berger was born in Plantation, Florida, and lived in Miami until his family moved to Jupiter, Florida, when Daniel was about 10.
He enrolled at Florida State in Tallahassee and finished second individually in the 2013 NCAA Men’s Division I Championship to earn All-America honors.
After his sophomore season, Daniel turned pro in 2013. Late that year, he joined the Web.com Tour and played in a handful of events before earning his PGA Tour card for the 2014-15 season.
3. Berger’s Father Was a Pro Tennis Player
Berger’s father, Jay, is into sports himself. Jay Berger is a former professional tennis player and is now a bigwig for the United States Tennis Association.
Jay Berger played on the ATP, winning three singles and one doubles titles over his career which spanned from 1986-91.
Berger reached as high as No. 7 on the ATP rankings (April 16, 1990) and finished his career with an impressive 141-80 record.
Jay Berger also played on the Davis Cup teams in 1988 and 1990.
He then went into coaching, eventually earning Big East coach of the year honors while at the University of Miami.
Berger currently serves as the head of men’s tennis for the USTA.
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4. He Is Currently No. 45 in Golf Rankings
Berger came into the 2016 Masters at No. 53 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
He tied for 10th at golf’s first major and it jumped him 8 spots to No. 45.
Two weeks ago, Berger was at 59. Berger ended the 2015 season at No. 53.
He peaked at No. 42 in the rankings. That was just after the 2015 Frys.com Open, where he finished tied for 17th.
5. Berger Is Still Looking for His First PGA Tour Victory
Berger might be without a win in his professional career, but he’s definitely knocking on the door.
He had that second-place finish at the 2015 BMW Championship and earlier in the season lost in a sudden-death playoff to Padraig Harrington in March’s Honda Classic.
Berger did taste victory as an amateur, though, including as a member of the 2013 Palmer Cup team, which is a collegiate event between American and European college players.
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