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SPORTS Wednesday 3 May 2023

Once No. 12, Berger starting over after back issues

By DOUG FERGUSON he withdrew from his title
AP Golf Writer defense at Pebble Beach
Daniel Berger spent the af- and skipped the rest of the
ternoon on his boat in calm West Coast.
Florida waters, an ideal lo- And then at the Honda
cation for anyone except Classic, he lost a five-shot
a guy who misses green lead in the final round.
turf under his feet and a “In retrospect, that was
golf club in his hand. the wrong decision. I kept
Tuesday marked the 319th playing through it,” Berger
day since Berger shot 75 in said. “It got to the point
the second round of the right around Augusta
U.S. Open at Brookline in where I couldn’t sit down,
June to miss the cut by two I couldn’t do normal ac-
shots. That was his last tour- tivities, I couldn’t play ten-
nament. He’s still not sure nis. I need to see someone
when the next one will be. about it.”
Pain in his lower back, The MRI came back clean.
which first surfaced after The pain stayed. He could
a long post-Ryder Cup swing, so he played. Such
break in 2021, reached a is stubborn side of Berger,
point where he needed the son of Davis Cup play-
ice baths before he could er and renowned tennis
play. It hurt just to sit in Team USA’s Brooks Koepka, left, and Daniel Berger celebrate on the 11th hole during a foursome coach Jay Berger. When
the car on the way to the match at the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits Golf Course Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in Sheboygan, Wis. he got to the Memorial in
course. Associated Press early June, he said it hurt
Relief, finally, is on the way, fanfare because he has match at Whistling Straits “I didn’t do as much as just sitting in the car.
thanks in part to a tip from become a forgotten fig- to beat Matt Fitzpatrick I should have in terms of “I played that tourna-
Luke Donald. ure. Golf can be a lonely and make the Americans conditioning and working ment (he tied for fifth) and
“That was the worst six sport when the game is the first team to register 19 out, and when I showed told myself, ‘This is it.’ And
months of my life,” Berger not going well. It’s even points against Europe. up in Hawaii my back was then I tried to play the U.S.
said Monday evening. lonelier when you’re not Emotionally and physically bothering me,” Berger Open,” Berger said. “I was
“I’ve had a pretty easy life. playing at all. His only real drained, he took off the said. “I’ve never had a taking two ice baths a day
I play golf for a living it’s contact with the PGA Tour rest of 2021 except for an back problem in my life.” to get on the course.”
not that stressful. But there was Commissioner Jay Mo- appearance in the Baha- He shot 25-under par to tie When he finally stepped
was a point that I would nahan calling a few times mas in December. When for fifth at Kapalua, then away from golf, it only got
have given up golf for the to check on him. he showed up for the Sen- took two weeks off. That worse not so much in-
rest of my life not to feel Berger, full of energy and try Tournament of Champi- didn’t help. His back felt creased pain but the un-
like that.”Berger turned self-belief, won the last ons, something didn’t feel just as bad at Torrey Pines. certainty. No one could fig-
30 a month ago with little hole of the last singles right with his back. It reached a point where ure out what was wrong.q

Djokovic can return to U.S. Open; vaccine mandate ends May 11

By HOWARD FENDRICH nounced Monday most of lic health emergency for August. was deported from Austra-
AP Tennis Writer the last remaining federal the coronavirus ends. Djokovic, a 35-year-old lia in January 2022 ahead
Novak Djokovic can return COVID-19 vaccine require- The U.S. Open, the season’s from Serbia, has missed of the Australian Open af-
to the U.S. Open this year ments will disappear May final Grand Slam tourna- several key events includ- ter a legal saga that result-
after missing the tourna- 11, when the national pub- ment, begins in New York in ing the 2022 U.S. Open be- ed in the revocation of his
ment in 2022, because the cause he decided not to visa to travel there.
federal government’s CO- get inoculated against the Djokovic was able to go to
VID-19 vaccination man- coronavirus. that country this January af-
date for foreign air travelers Back in April 2020, Djokovic ter its pandemic-era restric-
ends next week. said he was opposed to tions were eased. There, he
“Novak Djokovic is a great needing to be vaccinated won the Australian Open
champion, a fan favorite, to travel. He later said he for his 22nd Grand Slam
and now that the federal would not get the shots title, pulling even with rival
government has lifted its even if it meant he would Rafael Nadal for the most
vaccine requirements for not be allowed to partici- by a man in tennis history.
international travelers, we pate in some of his sport’s Djokovic is sitting out the
look forward to welcom- most important tourna- Madrid Open this week be-
ing him back to New York ments. Unable to travel to cause of a lingering issue
for the 2023 U.S. Open,” U.S. the United States, he missed with his surgically repaired
Tennis Association spokes- the Masters 1000 tourna- right elbow.
man Chris Widmaier wrote ments at Indian Wells, Cali- The next major tennis
in an email to The Associ- Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot to Alexander Zverev, fornia, and Miami both last championship is the French
ated Press on Tuesday. of Germany, during the semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis year and this year. Open, which begins in Paris
The White House an- championships, Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, in New York. Most famously, Djokovic on May 28.q
Associated Press