David Puig raised both arms to the sky just after sinking the winning putt on the 18th hole at the Royal Queensland Golf Club to win the BMW Australian PGA Championship. Broad smile. Happiness. Hug and kiss with Berta, his fiancée. Warm greetings to his playing partners. A seemingly admiring chat with Steve Williams, the eternal caddie of Tiger Woods, who carried the bag for Anthony Quayle this week and shared the final round with the Spaniard.
More hugs with Josele Ballester, wearing a Masters of Augusta shirt, and Rocco Repetto, both waiting for him at the 18th exit. A sincere and affectionate congratulation from Wenyi Ding, one of his main rivals this Sunday, who was waiting attentively to give him recognition in the corridor on the way to the scorecard signing. All this happened in the three minutes following his victory. Lots of emotion, intensity, and joy.
During this time, he also took the opportunity to attend to the DP World Tour colleagues and show his first reactions. “This means everything to me. It’s amazing. Yes, winning here and putting my name alongside Seve’s is wonderful. He is one of the most important figures in Spanish golf. And winning where he did is a dream come true. Obviously, achieving that first victory that everyone was waiting for makes it even more special,” he notes.
Puig had long been waiting to secure his first triumph on the DP World Tour. He had come close on other occasions, though he hadn’t quite finished the job. “I’ve been close several times in recent months but couldn’t quite clinch the victory. This is a great joy. Not just the fact of winning, but seeing that we were able to complete the task on the final day.”
Moreover, he is clear that he has opened his record on the DP World Tour in a very special place: “It has been very special, I am very happy. That will make me return to Australia to play more. Also, we have next week too, but it will surely make me come back. I am very proud and happy to have won here in front of everyone.”
The feelings this Sunday… “Yes, the truth is that the game has been of very high level throughout the week. I think the first two days I played quite well and didn’t make many putts, but I think over the weekend I putted better and in the end, making only two bogeys in 72 holes and playing the weekend without bogeys… the truth is that the level is impressive. There is a lot of work behind it and I think that makes victories like this taste much better in the end.”
Debut on the DP World Tour… “The truth is that now with the victory certain doors open that perhaps I hadn’t fully anticipated. I don’t really know yet which tournaments I will add or not, but well, now I know I can be in the best ones. Obviously, as I said, achieving that first victory is wonderful and I hope many more will come.”
The crowd in Australia… “The truth is that winning in Australia is impressive. The golf courses they have, the people, all the passion there is, how everyone lives it… It makes it very special, so super happy. Very proud and very happy to have finally won here, in front of all of them.”
