Unfazed Spaniard David Puig emerged from a crowded area on the Royal Queensland GC to hitch legendary compatriot Seve Ballesteros as Australian PGA Champion.
The 23-year-old LIV golf expertise made consecutive birdies on the second, third and fourth holes on Sunday to blow a three-shot lead and end at 5 below, ending at 18 below, two spots forward of China’s Wenyi Ding.
The ultimate spherical started with 31 gamers inside six strokes of the lead.
However the stable Spaniard (68, 67, 65, 66), who leaked solely two consecutive bogeys within the second spherical throughout the complete match, made the primary transfer after which had all of the solutions to win the report prize cash of $450,000.
He’s the ninth worldwide winner within the occasion’s practically 100 years and the second since 1998.
Puig adopted within the footsteps of his legendary compatriot Ballesteros, who got here from 5 strokes right down to win over Billy Dunk in 1981, tied for third with Greg Norman, at Royal Melbourne, web site of this week’s Australian Open.
Ballesteros, a five-time main winner, former world No. 1 and Ryder Cup performer, was 24 years previous on the time and had already received the Masters and British Open, one place higher than the earlier yr’s runner-up.
“My identify is much more particular as a result of I am the one[Spanish]with Seve’s identify,” he mentioned of the European {golfing} powerhouse who handed away in 2011.
“I have not seen him play in particular person, however it truthfully sucks.
“I watched replays of each main he received and all the things he did.
“He is an enormous determine in Spanish golf. His presence and all the things he is achieved may be very seen within the Spanish gamers, and in a means we’re all attempting to be like him.
“Simply play with that freedom…the angle, the actions and the way a lot he cared, and hopefully we’re on the best path in some methods.”
The Arizona State standout left school early to hitch the Insurgent LIV Tour in 2022, however has performed sporadically prior to now two years on the DP World Tour and majors in Europe.
Forward of the Brisbane match, he dedicated to being a full member on the 2026 European Tour, balancing his schedule and accepting any sanctions.
Mark Leishman (15 below, tied for third) and Min Woo Lee (14 below, tied for fifth) shot 67 and 69, respectively, on Sunday to come back inside two strokes after the flip.
However Puig’s blunder on the 14th gap of the check, adopted by a cultured birdie on the thirteenth gap and an ice-cold par on the subsequent gap, offered a snug cushion for the remainder of the stretch after Ding (66) birdied the sixteenth and seventeenth holes.
Adam Scott (69) completed seventh at 13 below, however lamented the truth that he had a sequence of close to misses for birdies early within the spherical, leaving him inside arm’s size of the highest gamers.
New Zealander Nick Bourque (66) made a late push to complete tied for third with Leishman, whereas compatriot Daniel Hillier (14 below) made 4 birdies on the again 9 to tie for fifth with Leish.
Leishman at present boasts three consecutive third-place finishes within the match and a runner-up end in 2018, and has appeared threatening all through this week, however he would not have any main Australian trophies on his resume.
