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Despite a jam-packed leaderboard at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the back nine on Sunday at Pebble Beach Golf Links mostly was about grazed edges, lipped-out putts and missed opportunities. Daniel Berger held his head near the lead throughout most of the day, performing steadily, and remained optimistic that if he stayed patient long enough, the birdies would arrive. RELATED: Final leaderboard | What's in Berger's bag? Stepping to the 18th tee on one of the most photographed holes on the planet, Berger, 27, needed birdie to win, then did one better. Berger has that kind of flair, that boldness, the confidence that makes him relish the big stage, not shy from it. A beautiful drive (Berger had blocked one out-of-bounds at 18 a day earlier) was followed by what he called "the 3-wood of my life" from 253 yards to 30 feet. The putt for eagle-3 was trickier than it looked, downhill and fast, but was struck with perfect weight, and tumbled in for Berger's fourth eagle of the tournament, his second of the round. He stared at the sky. Victory was his. He punched the air with his right fist, his late heroics pushing him to a final-round, 7-under 65 and an 18-under 270 total. All that drama at the end? "It's just as good as it gets for me," Berger said after his fourth PGA TOUR triumph. Stanford grad Maverick McNealy, 25, a son of California seeking his first victory not far from where he was raised, played nicely on Sunday, making five birdies on his second nine in shooting 66, setting the bar high for Berger to clear. McNealy's solo second finish marked his top showing on TOUR, and he said he learned a lot about the way he handled himself down the stretch. Jordan Spieth, who started the round with a two-shot lead over five players, seeking to break a three-plus year winless stretch, struggled with the driver but birdied his final two holes to shoot 70 and share third with Patrick Cantlay (68). Standing out there on that 18th fairway, knowing McNealy had posted 16 under, Berger decided he was all-in. It's his style, something developed from his younger upbringing as a golf teen in South Florida, trying to keep up with the likes of PGA TOUR players such as Steve Marino and Will MacKenzie. "I've been in this situation before, coming down the last hole, having to hit a good shot," Berger said. "Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t, but you really have to be bold, and I feel like did I that today. "I think the biggest thing is playing fearlessly. You can step up there and be concerned with all the different outcomes and all the different places that ball can go, but in the end it’s just golf, it’s just a golf shot and if you can step up there and kind of free your mind and be fearless, then you have such a better opportunity to hit a good shot." The shot actually called for a draw, but with the wind off the right and Stillwater Cove and rocks awaiting everything hit left, Berger was able to rip his comfortable cut and let the breeze bring the ball back. He said the yardage called for a full 3-wood, and that's what Berger gave it, executing precisely. For the longest time, it appeared he and Nate Lashley, the 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic champion, would be battling over the final holes, as they were the two who held or shared the lead most of the round. Lashley made a rough exit at the par-4 16th though, missing the green from 152 yards, pitching on, and four-putting from 13 feet. He finished with 69 despite the triple-bogey, and tied for fifth. Just as Berger had to be patient all of Sunday - he did start fast, with an eagle at the par-5 second - golf has been patiently waiting for Berger. People sometimes forget the the is part of that loaded 2011 high school class that includes Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele. Berger is playing catch up, to an extent. He first had to get on the other side of a bad wrist injury, and the time away taught him that he missed the game more than he realized. It took him time to put Pebble on his schedule, but after three top-10 finishes in as many starts, you can count on him being as loyal as Bill Murray. One element to his growth, Berger said, has been his work with teacher Cameron McCormick, best known as Spieth's longtime instructor. Berger said McCormick has helped him develop a new outlook on the game, not doing much to his unique swing but helping him with new perspective on his short game. He encourages him to be an artist. When Berger told him he had one type of chip shot, with pretty much the same trajectory, same spin, McCormick asked, "How many of the best chippers in the world hit the same shot all the time?" Point taken. Berger, a winner twice in 10 months (2020 Charles Schwab Challenge) now can start looking at his career trajectory a little differently, too. He has a good jump on making the U.S. Ryder Cup team, and now sits 10th in FedExCup standings. He is not afraid to say he wants to be the very best player in the world one day. As in No. 1. Sunday's victory moved him to 13th. No. 1? Some players get ridiculed for such brash statements. But Berger isn't afraid to be bold. On Sunday at Pebble Beach, that approach paid off quite handsomely.

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CARNOUSTIE, Scotland – Good morning, golf fans. Here’s a quick look at Friday’s early developments in the second round of The Open Championship at Carnoustie. HELLO, RAIN. After a lengthy dry spell in Scotland that left Carnoustie’s fairways with racetrack-like conditions, the weather we’re accustomed to seeing at The Open finally arrived. The rain picked up throughout the mid-morning, forcing players to pull out the umbrellas and rain gear for the first time this week. Game plans were adjusted for the slower conditions, but the good news is that the winds remained calm. PAST CHAMPS MAKING NOISE. Rory McIlroy, the 2014 Open winner, moved into a tie for the lead with Kevin Kisner at 5 under with a birdie at the par-5 14th. McIroy shot an opening 69, and then on Friday birdied the seventh, 10th, 13th and 14th holes (with a bogey at the 12th). Meanwhile, Zach Johnson, the 2015 winner, was 4 under through 12 after shooting a 69 on Thursday. FLEETWOOD OUT FAST. Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who opened with a 72 on Thursday, played the front nine in 3 under, then added two more birdies after the turn. He was 5 under on his round through 14 holes and 4 under for the tournament, just one shot off the lead. Fleetwood was solo second last month at the U.S. Open, shooting a final-round 63, and he owns the course record at Carnoustie, also 63. TIGER BATTLING. With a mid-morning tee time, Tiger Woods set out to improve on his even-par 71 on Thursday. Things didn’t go well early – on his second shot from the rough on the second hole, he hit a spectator. But after two straight bogeys, he bounced back with two straight birdies to remain even par through five holes. Woods has missed the cut in five of his last seven major starts, so the first order of business will be to get to the weekend. (Click here for our Tiger Woods blog in Round 2.) And yes, he’s still wearing the kinesio tape on the back of his neck that caused such a commotion on Thursday. DAY GETS IT GOING. After a first-round 71, Jason Day moved up the leaderboard with three birdies in his first 10 holes. In seven previous Open starts, Day has just one top-10 finish – a T-4 in 2015. WILL KISNER MAINTAIN? First-round leader Kevin Kisner has a 12:53 p.m. tee time (that’s 7:53 a.m. ET). It’s the second time in four majors that he’s been atop the leaderboard after the opening round. At the 2017 PGA Championship, he was the co-leader with Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen after 18 holes and maintained that position through the next two rounds, taking the solo lead by a single stroke entering the final round before finishing T-7. He took only positives from his performance at Quail Hollow. “I love myself under the gun and down the stretch,� Kisner said. CHASING THE CUT. The top 70s and ties make the cut following the second round. Patrick Reed will tee off this afternoon locally (10:21 a.m. ET) below the cutline after shooting a 4-over 75 on Thursday. Reed has missed the cut in two of his previous four Open starts, including last year at Royal Birkdale. Since then, his major results include: T-2 at PGA, win at Masters, solo fourth at U.S. Open. NO. 1 IN TROUBLE. After opening with a 5-over 76, Dustin Johnson started the day outside the cutline, and was drifting farther away. He was 1 over through 12 holes, leaving him at 6 over at that point. Johnson had made the cut in his last eight Open starts after missing the cut in his Open debut in 2009. EARLY/LATE ADVANTAGE. The rain was forecast to subside late in the day, and winds were expected to remain relatively calm, so those players in the afternoon could have ideal scoring conditions. They already had the better side of the draw with early first-round tee times – 11 rounds under par were shot by the first 12 groups Thursday compared to none in the last 12 groups.

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Built as a hybrid between a roster and one-and-done formats, PGA TOUR Captain’s Pick is a stand-alone fantasy game for the Presidents Cup, the four-day competition at Liberty National on Sept. 28-Oct. 1. It’s open for registration now – just click here. If you were already signed up to play any of the incumbent games, simply toggle over to the page dedicated to the newest offering. The rules (found in the upper right) spell out everything you need to know, but this primer will assist you in making decisions for the Captain’s Pick, which is unique. It requires an approach at game play not experienced in the other platforms. FORMAT & SETUP The beauty of the game is in its simplicity, but just as staying on top of your team is critical, timing and luck are also inherent to success. This means that even if you have just basic knowledge of how the Presidents Cup is organized, you’ll have just as much of a puncher’s chance to prevail as hardcore gamers. You’ll start by selecting the team you expect to win. “Scoring and Prizes” below addresses this value, but it’s important to understand that you’ll be selecting golfers only from the team you select. After deciding on the squad, it’s time to build the daily order in which you want your charges to count. Start by selecting three players for Day 1, and then save that lineup. Repeat the process for Days 2, 3 and 4 until all 12 are selected. Finally, you’ll set your tiebreaker. Select a value from zero to 30 for how many of the matches you think will go exactly 18 holes. Once your tiebreaker is saved, you can begin rearranging your team. Daily deadlines fall with the first tee time of the session (or the first session on Day 3). Once it does, the three golfers you’ve selected for that day will be locked in and unavailable to you for the remainder of the competition, even if they don’t play on the day you’ve chosen for them. SCORING & PRIZES Gamers who pick the winning team are awarded five points. Golfers collect points per match, including those who play in both on Day 3. Those who win their match yield one point plus the equivalent of the holes up at the conclusion of the match. This applies to both golfers on the winning side of Four-ball and Foursomes. Halves are worth one-half of one point for all golfers in a match. In 11 editions of the Presidents Cup, there’s never been a conceded match due to injury or illness, but Captain’s Pick is prepared for the contingency. In addition to one point for winning a qualifying conceded match, the winner will receive one point for every hole not played, with a maximum bonus of five points for the holes up when the match is conceded. At the conclusion of the tournament, the gamer with the most points wins. First prize is a set of Titleist 716 AP1 irons. The runner-up will receive a Titleist 917 driver. Third place nets a Scotty Cameron putter. TIEBREAKER If there is more than one fantasy team that totals the most points, a tiebreaker will determine final position. You can modify your tiebreaker until the deadline on Day 1 falls. Going back four editions, 11 of 34 matches in both 2009 and 2011 went exactly 18 holes. In 2013, 15 of 34 matches went the distance. The U.S. won each competition overall by five, four and three points, respectively. The Presidents Cup’s format was reduced to 30 matches in 2015 and half of them went exactly 18 holes. The U.S. squeaked out the victory, 15-1/2 to 14-1/2. STRATEGY There are three components to building a competitive team, and it helps to think of the format of the Presidents Cup in reverse order of the sessions. Since all 12 golfers on both teams will compete in singles on Sunday, all gamers are guaranteed a full lineup. And because it’s the last session, your team will be comprised of your last three available, naturally. Consider this as insurance at the beginning of the competition, but just as you took a fluid approach in PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO during the FedExCup Playoffs, remain flexible throughout the Presidents Cup.   Day 3 will pose the greatest challenge because there are two sessions of four matches each. Because the deadline for the day will fall with the first tee time of the first session and the matches for the second session aren’t announced until the first session is underway, it’s possible that one of your selections will not play at all on Day 3. See, after you’ve burned three golfers each in Days 1 and 2, it’s possible that all of your first six will be scheduled to play in the first session on Day 3, which means that you’re guaranteed just two of the eight actively participating.   In 2015, all 12 members on the U.S. squad competed at least once on Day 3, but just nine of the Internationals were in play. Captain Nick Price has returned this year, so it’s feasible he’ll take the same course of action even though he’ll be reacting to the competition in real time. However, if you’re going to choose the International squad, your objective should be to save three of the strongest members for Day 3. The following seven Internationals laced it up in both sessions on Day 3 two years ago: Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace and Sangmoon Bae. Only Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, J.B. Holmes and Bubba Watson represented the U.S. in both sessions on the same day. Your decision to select the Internationals to win should hinge on what you’re going to do on Day 3. Even if the U.S. wins the Presidents Cup and shuts you out of five points, bonus points for holes up at the conclusion of matches will cover for it and then some in some cases. Having two cracks at it in one day increases potential player impact from 25 percent (one of four days) to 40 percent (two of five sessions). Just like any golf tournament, you can’t win early, but you can lose it with misguided and anxious thinking. While a 6-and-5 victory in Four-ball on Days 1 or 2 would be more valuable than, say, a pair of 1-up wins on Day 3, you’d need that unlikely scenario to play out to validate the decision not to hope for golfers who will get two starts on Day 3. In preparation for this, consider rostering one or two of your weakest options at some point on Days 1 and/or 2. This will keep you in the game for a potentially game-changing Day 3. And who knows, you just might catch lightning in a bottle in the meantime.   PHILOSOPHIES Qualifying for team competitions requires long stretches of terrific form and usually a PGA TOUR victory along the way. This is to say that discerning between the best and next-best options in your lineup is as relative as it gets in fantasy golf. It’s akin to debating which golfer you want to take in a first round of a draft. Yet, the embarrassment of riches is most definitely affected by the captain’s thirst for team victory. Thus Price’s beefed-up lineups on Day 3 in 2015. Another element that can go overshadowed by the host country’s domination throughout the history of the competition is that it’s still match play. Toss in the variable that 60 percent of the matches involve two-man teams and you can slide into overthinking quicker than you can say, “Pick it up.” These unpredictable realities are constants, but it doesn’t mean that we are entirely at their mercy when constructing lineups. Do it smartly to put yourself in position to get lucky. RECAPS & PREVIEWS This primer is just the beginning. I will be writing daily reports based on the results, golfers’ form, matches for the following day and everything else that matters in your quest to win The Captain’s Pick. So, if you haven’t already bookmarked PGATOUR.COM/Fantasy, please do so.  

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