David Puig Crowned Australian PGA Champion
Spanish golfer David Puig has etched his name in golf history by winning the Australian PGA Championship, joining the legend Seve Ballesteros as the only Spaniards to achieve this feat.
Puig, with an outstanding performance at the Royal Queensland GC, demonstrated his skill by surpassing a competitive group of players. The young LIV Golf talent, 23 years old, stood out with consecutive birdies on holes two, three, and four, solidifying his lead and finishing Sunday with an impressive five under par.
His performance culminated in a total of 18 under par, surpassing Chinese Wenyi Ding by two strokes.
The final round began with a large number of players, 31 in total, competing just six strokes off the lead. However, it was the Spaniard’s consistency (68, 67, 65, 66) that made the difference, committing only two bogeys throughout the tournament. Puig remained firm and responded to the demands of the course to claim the $450,000 prize.
This triumph makes him the ninth international winner of the event in almost a century and the second since 1998.
Puig emulated Ballesteros, who in 1981, at Royal Melbourne, achieved a similar victory.
“My name, along with Seve’s, makes it even more special,” commented Puig, referring to the Spanish golf legend who passed away in 2011.
Puig, who left the university to join the LIV circuit in 2022, has been competing in the DP World Tour of Europe and in the majors in the last two years.
Before the event in Brisbane, he committed to being a full member of the European circuit for 2026.
Marc Leishman and Min Woo Lee also fought for the victory, but Puig maintained his lead, securing his triumph with crucial birdies and pars on the final holes.
Adam Scott finished in seventh place, while Nick Voke and Daniel Hillier also had outstanding performances.
Leishman, despite his efforts, failed to add an Australian title to his record.
