David Puig (-23) has hit bingo and line at the same time in the IRS Prima Malaysian Open, inaugural tournament of the Asian Tour season. The Spanish golfer attended this event at the The Mines Resort Golf Club in pursuit of a spot for the Open Championship and he has taken it all. Victory and ticket to Royal Troon. This certifies a masterful play.
Puig has put a golden touch to an extraterrestrial golf weekend this Sunday. To the 62 strokes he scored on Saturday to get into the fight for everything after just making the cut, he followed with another round of 62 this Sunday to win the tournament comfortably. From 62 to 62 and I shoot because it’s my turn. Like a movie.
The young 22-year-old player from La Garriga kept his foot on the accelerator from start to finish. This is determination and the rest is nonsense. He knew he needed another great round and he got to work from the start. He started with par at hole 1 and immediately signed three consecutive birdies at holes 2, 3 and 4. With this burst, he was already in Open Championship positions and definitely put the triumph within reach.
The thing and what is most meritorious is that he did not stop there. With a huge display on the greens, one more this week, Puig added two more birdies on the 6 and 7. At that moment, he took control of the tournament, but he had to keep pushing. Suddenly, he had become the man to beat and now it was time to prevent anyone from daring to move his chair. That’s what he did. This is mine and I’m taking it. This is called hunger and desire.
Puig chained another three consecutive birdies at holes 10, 11 and 12 and already stood out as the leader. Master and lord of operations. He signed one more at 17 and finished with a par at 18 for a total of -23. His partial in the 36 holes of the weekend has been -18, which would mean a projection of -36 in a 72-hole tournament. Madness no matter how you look at it.
“I feel very good, a strange feeling. I almost didn’t make the cut on Friday. I was playing well, but I messed up. We finished the second round well and the weekend was crazy. 18 birdies and no bogey in 36 holes was incredible. And getting that spot in the Open is great, I came here for that,” Puig assured as soon as he lifted the champion’s trophy.
What David has starred in today is not within the reach of many, wherever it is done and whatever is at stake. Stringing together two rounds of golf of 62 strokes is only within the reach of the very good, of the players who have something special, a gift. It is his second professional victory on the Asian Tour after the one he won last year in Singapore. Two victories in his last four valid tournaments for the world ranking.
The Malaysia Open also distributed three spots for the next Open Championship at Royal Troon, the main reason for his presence in The Mines Wellness City. Puig has secured the first one, so there is no doubt. He will be at the British. It will be the second Major of his career after the 2023 US Open in Los Angeles. Last year he tried to qualify for the Open through the preliminaries and fell short. Reward for bravery, daring, commitment to being the best possible player and his great golf.
🎟️@PuigCorrius 🇪🇸
🎟️ Jeunghun Wang 🇰🇷
🎟️ Denwit Boriboonsub 🇹🇭@TheOpen bound! See you all at @RoyalTroonGC this July!https://t.co/QQChqRrghk #IRSPrima #MalaysianOpen #whereitsAT pic.twitter.com/XV6t58uAF6— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) February 18, 2024
David won with a two-stroke lead over Korean Jeunghun Wang (-21), who also earns a spot for the Open after an exceptional round of 61 strokes, and three over John Catlin and Denwit Boriboosub, emerging star of Thai golf who also signed 61 strokes this Sunday. He finished with an amazing partial of 28 strokes in the second nine holes, eight under par. He made birdie on all holes except 16. The spot at Royal Troon is for the promising Asian player due to his better ranking in the world ranking.
Puig went down to the mine to get a spot in the Open and found diamonds.
