The MRI on Daniel Berger’s back showed no major issues and although he withdrew from Wednesday’s Pro-Am, he intends to play in the Honda Classic.
Berger was told an extra day of rest would help his rib issue after undergoing the exam Monday afternoon. He told tournament director Ken Kennerly he expects to play in his hometown tournament barring a setback.
Berger is scheduled to tee off Thursday at 12:53 p.m. with Lee Westwood, the runner-up in the last two Tour events, and Keegan Bradley.
Berger spent Tuesday at PGA National chipping and putting. Following his final round at the Players Championship on Sunday, he said his rib has been bothering him for about two weeks.
Berger, ranked No. 15 in the world, became the highest-ranked player in the Honda field when fellow Jupiter resident Brooks Koepka was forced to miss the event because of a strained right knee. On Monday, another local favorite, Gary Woodland of Delray Beach, was forced to withdraw after testing positive for COVID-19.
Honda will feature four top-25 players in the Official World Golf Rankings, including defending champion Sungjae Im at No. 18; Westwood, who is 19th and was runner-up at the last two tournaments, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players; and No. 25 Adam Scott.
Berger revealed Sunday after shooting a 67 in the final round of the Players that he has dealt with pain in his rib the last two weeks. He tied for ninth at the Players with an 8-under 280.
“Kind of struggling this week,” Berger said Sunday. “Was surprised actually that I was able to play all four days. I’m kind of just happy to have played golf all four rounds.
“Hopefully if everything is OK, then I can do my best to play. Just a lot of golf, it’s a lot of wear and tear on the body. Hopefully it gets better.”
The first group tees off at 7:25 a.m. Thursday on the Champion Course at PGA National.
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