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Daniel Berger whiffs, loses to Phil Mickelson, and gets hurt in one odd sequence
We're not even through Day 2 of the WGC-Dell Match Play, but we've already seen what will undoubtedly wind up being the most unusual finish of the entire week. Of course, it involved Phil Mickelson. Well, sort of.
Locked in a battle with Daniel Berger, Mickelson hit a perfect drive on Austin Country Club's 18th hole to put himself in control. Little did he know he wouldn't even have to hit another shot to pick up the win.
Berger pulled his tee shot badly and his ball wound up near a large boulder. After attempting several practice swings, the second-year PGA Tour pro figured he had a full swing, but he miscalculated. Berger's clubface struck the rock on his downswing causing him to completely whiff on the shot and causing the club to go flying.
Unfortunately, it also caused him to hurt his wrist. After indicating he was hurt, Berger picked up his ball to concede the hole and the match to Mickelson. Check it out:
“I don’t even know what happened,” Berger said after. “I thought I had a full swing. I was shocked I hit the rock coming down and the club came out of my hand."
“Hopefully, I’m alright and I can play tomorrow,” added Berger, who fell to 0-2 for the week.
Mickelson, whose record went to 2-0, will definitely be playing on Friday. The five-time major champ has a showdown with Patrick Reed, with the winner advancing to the round of 16. What will Phil -- or his opponent -- do next? We'll have to wait until his 2 p.m. tee time.