Daniel Berger is enjoying rediscovering his rhythm after he carded a bogey-free 63 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Berger has endured a torrid time of it due to injuries in recent seasons.

He sustained a back injury that kept him out of action for 18 months, and also fractured a finger during the BMW Championship last year.

However, he cast those issues aside in style on Thursday, carding a brilliant round that was just one short of the course record at Bay Hill Club, as he made six birdies on the back nine.

"I think the biggest thing for me is just getting in a bit of a rhythm," said Berger, who is three shots clear of Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Aberg.

"When you come back [from injury], you are just kind of getting back into the flow of things and getting into your routine.

"I have really played not that poorly, I just haven't had the results.

"You just kind of keep doing the same things and good things will come, so that's kind of where I feel like I am at."

Was Daniel Berger playing a different golf course?! 

A bogey-free 63 for the Florida native @APInv. pic.twitter.com/onbIxo9m94

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 5, 2026

Berger's best result of 2026 so far came in Hawaii, as he finished T6 at the Sony Open. He claimed a respectable T16 at the Phoenix Open last month, but missed the cut at the Genesis Invitational.

Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, struggled as he finished the day on even par, having double-bogeyed the 13th and dropping another shot on the last.

World number one Scottie Scheffler had a better day, as he posted his first sub-par opening round since January.

Scheffler carded a two-under par 70 to end the day tied for sixth.

"I think being satisfied is always a bit of a stretch in golf," said Scheffler.

"I feel like I did some really good things.

"I felt like I made a couple of mistakes that I shouldn't have, but overall I did some really good stuff out there. Anything under par on this golf course is a decent score."