PGA Tour pro to make comeback after "the worst six months of my life"
The tour pro revealed he was close to quitting the game for good.
PGA Tour pro Daniel Berger will return to action after more than a year out injured at U.S. Open final qualifying.
Berger has revealed the depths of his struggles to the Associated Press after more than 300 days out of action.
UPDATE: PGA Tour pro who hoped for return now forced out
It got to the point where Berger said he would have gladly quit the game to be pain-free. "It was the worst six months of my life," he said.
The 30-year-old will tee it up at Pine Tree Golf Club on 5 June in the 36-hole event.
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Berger told AP:
The injury Berger alluded to was one to his back that has caused him trouble for more than three years.
He tried to carry on playing after his Ryder Cup debut at Whistling Straits, managing 12 starts, but was forced to withdraw from the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
It was an even bigger shame for Berger considering he was the defending champion.
Despite that setback, he tried to persevere yet again and held the 54-hole lead at the Honda Classic. Then he gave in and decided to rest up.
Doctors reportedly detected a 'slight bulge in the lower disc and deep bone sensitivity'.
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"When I took time off, I was a top-20 player," Berger told AP. "I'll be coming back with nothing. I get it — it's part of the game. You've got to earn everything. When I come back, I'll come back with fire in my belly.
"I'll enjoy the challenge of getting back to where I was."
Berger, who has dropped to 146th in the OWGR, is not the only PGA Tour pro returning to action this week at Muirfield Village.
Brandt Snedeker, too, was almost forced to rethink his future after similarly suffering issues with his back.
Snedeker, a nine-time PGA Tour winner, revealed his doctor didn't even want to perform surgery on him.
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