David Puig (-7), fresh winner last week of the Malaysia Open, is also doing not too bad at the start of the International Series Oman, an even bigger tournament, second date of the Asian Tour season. Well no, it’s not bad at all to sign a 65 in the first round to start in Oman as he finished in Malaysia, at the top of the leaderboard. He is the sole leader, with a one-stroke lead over one of the big favourites, if not the big favourite, Joaquín Niemann (-6), who has also been the Spaniard’s playing partner. The Chilean wouldn’t have minded at all celebrating his invitation to the Augusta Masters with the best record of the day, but today he had next to him a guy who is not for concessions, full of confidence.
Spanish is spoken, for now, in that corner of the Middle East, as another Chilean, Mito Pereira (-5) and a Mexican, Carlos Ortiz (-5), tie for third place, along with Australian Kevin Yuan (-5) and American Manav Shah (-5), who just got his card at the School.
It is mandatory to remember that Puig came from closing the tournament in Malaysia with two rounds of 62 strokes. And that in his last forty holes in that event he had signed twenty birdies and twenty pars. Well, the series has fattened up and in what a way, because now his partial is -27 in his last 58 competition holes, without any bogey, since today he has not put any blot on the card. Let’s see, it’s pure mathematical (and golfing, let’s not say) logic to understand that these kind of streaks are unsustainable over time, but for now it can only be testified that the Catalan is not willing to let the party end just like that. Today he has hunted fifteen greens in regulation and has put in excellent mid-range putts, with no problem at all to get through the three recoveries he has faced. In addition, on hole 12, par 5, he was about to hole it from outside with a chip of his own and on 17 he threw another great putt that licked the edge of the hole.
It’s very early to start doing numbers, but it’s also worth remembering that his rise in the world ranking, as a result of last week’s victory, opened up new goals for the Spaniard, such as his qualification for the PGA Championship, the second major of the year played in May. To do this, he would have to get into the top 100 in the world or get as close as possible, and with rounds of this level everything seems a little easier, no doubt.
There are two other Spaniards in Oman. Carlos Pigem (+1) has paid dearly for a triple bogey on hole 4, although his round has actually been quite solid (up to 16 greens in regulation), while Eugenio Chacarra (+4) has signed a 76 that will force him to row his own to make the cut tomorrow.
