“Shattered, but very happy”. That’s how David Puig appeared in statements to Ten Golf shortly after arriving at the hotel room after securing his qualification for next week’s US Open at Pinehurst. The preliminaries of the Majors, along with the Qualifying Schools of the circuits, are the most stressful battles in golf. They represent a physical and psychological challenge. In this case, 36 holes at Lake Merced in San Francisco to secure one of the four spots in a tough battle against 83 other participants. Just saying it already shows the wear and tear.
Puig secured his spot in the US Open by winning his preliminary with a total of twelve under par, with two rounds of 68 and 64 strokes. It seemed easy, but obviously it wasn’t. “I didn’t arrive at the preliminary with the best feelings, but I played quite well. I hit good shots. The courses were short and wide, so if you were doing well, you could get a result. I’m very happy because both in the first and second 18 holes today I missed some good birdie opportunities with the putt, but I didn’t let that affect me in the following shots,” says the 22-year-old golfer from La Garriga.
Proud of his attitude and mental strength in a tough test where you can’t lose focus for a minute because there’s no margin for error. “I didn’t make many long putts. Most of the birdies came after hitting good shots and leaving them rather close,” he explains.
In addition to the psychological challenge overcome, David is especially proud of what he puts on his Major service sheet. He has only been a professional for two years and is going to play four majors in this time. Last year he played the US Open after getting into the preliminary and this year he adds three more to his curriculum: PGA Championship, US Open next week and Open Championship in July at Royal Troon. “I’m very happy, I think it’s a good balance in a short time,” he says.
The goal now is to recover as quickly as possible to be ready for the next challenge. It’s the LIV Golf in Houston, which takes place this week, just before the US Open. In a way, Puig has a small thorn to remove in the Saudi league tournaments. He has some good results in his career, but he wants to see himself on a Sunday with a chance to win. He will then play the US Open and then another LIV tournament in Nashville. Three consecutive weeks.
