Mar 07, 2026
3 min read
Daniel Berger stood in the leaderboard at Bay Hill Club and Lodge on Friday night and tried to describe what it feels like when a putter goes over the green with almost no friction.When you put the putter down, you have almost - no friction.The putter just wants to slide," said Berger, whose second-round 68 gave him a five-shot lead at 13 under par.
Daniel Berger took the lead at Bay Hill with a five-point lead
Daniel Berger stood in the driving range Friday night at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge, trying to describe the feeling when the putter glides across the green so there's no friction.
"When you put the putter down, there's almost no friction. It just wants to slide," Berger said after shooting a second-round 68 to take a five-shot lead at 13 under par."It's a fantastic challenge. It feels like the US Open."
That's the thing about Bay Hill.It is not easy for you to get into the weekend.It takes its own course.
Berger followed up his opening round of 63, which was more difficult than the scoreboard suggested.He insisted he hit the ball better Thursday than Friday, but the course had different ideas about how to reward accuracy.
"You can hit a good ball and just because you're 8 feet over the hole doesn't necessarily mean it's a birdie," Berger explained."There were a lot of times when I hit some good shots to 20 feet and I was happy to walk away with a 4."
A Florida boy finds his way home
The 31-year-old from Jupiter has not won since the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.It started 83 years ago.Five years of grinding and wondering when the next win will come, life is about a professional golfer trying to be relevant to anything.
Berger didn't bat an eye when asked what he would have thought five years ago if someone had told him he would go this long without another win.
"I wouldn't change what I went through to win again or anything," he said.
In the last five rounds at Bay Hill, Berger has a total of 22 strikeouts.The formula, he said, is simple: fairway and green.If you can do that here, it will be hard for others to catch you.
He leads the field in birdies with 14 and in strokes gained: tee to green.The five-shot advantage is the biggest 36-hole lead on tour since Robert MacIntyre last year's BMW Championship.
Masters look great
Berger is currently No. 45 in the FedExCup standings.He's not in the majors.That's the case this week, as is the humidity that settles in central Florida in March.
"I want to play in the majors. I want to have a chance to win the majors," Berger said."I think I have to play well to get there, whether it's a world ranking or winning a golf tournament. Yeah, I think that's at the top of the list."
Augusta is hard to beat.You can be ranked 55th in the world and still be sitting at home the first week of April.A win this week could solve that problem right away.
The Chase Pack hosts Bay Hill's bite
Akshay Bhatia finished the day with a low 66 to move to 8-under and sit alone in second place.In his second start at Bay Hill, Bhatia leads the field in Strokes Gained: 7.930 strokes gained on the field through 36 holes.
In the under 7 age group, three players share third place: Ludvig Åberg, Sahith Theegala and Collin Morikawa.
Theegala's 67 was the only bogey-free round of the day and his lowest score in 14 rounds at the venue.Morikawa, who finished second here last year, is trying to become the first player since MacIntyre to finish second and win the same tournament next year.
The cut came at 2-over 146, the first over-par finish on Tour since last year's Open.Among those who survived: defending FedExCup champion Tommy Fleetwood and Jordan Spieth, both of whom took the lead with three birdies on the back nine.
"It will be great to see this afternoon," Fleetwood said.- I am glad that I am here.
Justin Thomas, who started his season after microdiscectomy, still missed the cut with a score of 79. But his body looked good, he was the real winner this week.
Shane Lowry's shooting found the rock on the 18th, ending his week with an explosion.
What's next
The greens will only get tougher.The needles will only get tighter.Sam Saunders, the grandson of Arnold Palmer who helped run the tournament, really wants to.And Mr. Palmer wants it.
Berger knows what's to come.He has been in this position before, holding a 36-hole lead three other times in his career.He was 1-for-3 turning those leads into wins.
“You play like you're starting the round on equal footing and not playing against the other guys,” Berger said."You're playing golf on the course and alone."
Two more days in Hill Bay.Two rounds of navigating courses that want to embarrass you and demand respect.
Daniel Berger can reach a five-stroke cushion and an invitation to the Masters.The way is his way.What happens, happens.
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning golf coach and author who is an Athlon Senior Golf Writer.Read "The Starter" recently at R.org, where he is their Lead Golf Writer.For all of his latest work, sign up for his newsletter or visit his MuckRack Profile.
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This story was originally published by Athlon on March 7, 2026 and first appeared in the Golf section.Click here to add Athlon as your primary source.
