On Friday, David Puig (-14) seemed doomed to miss the cut at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open with four holes to go. His game had gone into a tunnel. Between hole 8 and 13, he had signed a partial of +4 and was against the ropes. He urgently needed two birdies for the numbers to add up. Golf against the clock. Two birdies in four holes and coming from where he was coming from. It seemed impossible. But Puig did it, on the 15th and 17th and just made it into the top 60 and tied.
In a way, he had saved the furniture, but the train of the tournament and the Open Championship had escaped him. Or so it seemed. Remember that this Malaysian Open that opens the Asian Tour calendar gives out three places for the next British at Royal Troon. Puig finished Friday eight strokes behind the leaders and seven from the Open. Well, this Saturday he has unleashed a hurricane in the Mining City of Welfare, has delivered a card of 62 strokes, the best of the day, has placed himself with -14 and has risen to the fourth place in the ranking, three strokes from the lead and only one from the third place, or what is the same, from the Open Championship. David has taught us a new lesson: with him, never say never again.
The round of the golfer from La Garriga has been exceptional. They would do well to put his round as a great example of what to do on a moving day. He has displayed an all-out golf. From start to finish. Between holes 2 and 11 he has signed a fabulous partial of seven under par. The comeback was started, but it still had to be signed. So he did. Two more hits on holes 16 and 17 and, again, on the train of everything in Malaysia. He caught it on the move and when it was already at full speed. But he caught it. Sensational.
Puig has given a masterclass from the tee and with the putter, the perfect combination to blow up any ranking. He has taken thirteen of the fourteen streets and has only needed 24 putts. He has linked ten consecutive greens to a putt, precisely in that stretch from 2 to 11. As if they were cartoons.
David has achieved the first objective of the week: to reach Sunday with chances to win and to get into the Open. Now comes the hardest part. Respond the day after a great round of golf with another more or less of the same caliber. Obviously, he is not going to need 62 strokes to get a place for Royal Troon, not even probably to win the tournament, but he will have to play well and sign a low round. It won’t be easy. But you know, we have all learned, never say never again with Puig.
Canadian Jared du Toit (-17) is the leader of the ranking with 18 holes to go. He has a one-stroke lead over Australian Kevin Yuan (-16) and two over American John Catlin (-15), a familiar face from the DP World Tour and, more specifically, from the Spanish fans after his victory in the Estrella Damm Andalucía Masters at Valderrama. Puig, who will go out on Sunday in the penultimate match, is tied with Korean Bio Kim, Englishman Steve Lewton and Australian Deyen Lawson.
