Golf-Spain’s Puig pulls clear to claim Australia PGA Championship title

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Nov 30 (Reuters) – Joint-overnight leader David Puig hit a five-under par round of 66 on Sunday to win the Australian PGA Championship by two shots from China’s Ding Wenyi with a four-round total of 18-under par at the DP World Tour’s season opener at Royal Queensland.

The win was the 23-year-old’s first on the DP World Tour and third as a professional, and his victory is the first in the event by a Spanish player since Seve Ballesteros claimed the title in 1981.

“It feels amazing,” said Puig, whose previous professional wins had come on the Asian Tour. “I really had a lot of close calls in a few events throughout this year and last year and I wasn’t able to pull it through.

“It feels unbelieveable, especially winning here in Australia. Awesome golf, so really excited and happy.”

Puig had gone into the final round in a three-way tie with Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and Australian Anthony Quayle but soon pulled away from the field with birdies at the second, third and fourth holes.

A 20-foot putt for birdie at the eighth gave Puig a three-shot lead over the chasing pack with both Gouveia and Quayle falling back.

Ding, who had started the day two shots off the lead, made a slow start with a bogey at the first but four birdies in the last five holes before the turn pulled the Chinese golfer into contention.

However, another bogey at the 10th left the 21-year-old from Beijing adrift, although a birdie at the par-three 17th moved him to sole possession of second place.

Australia’s Marc Leishman finished in a tie for third alongside New Zealander Nick Voke on 15-under par with 2023 winner Min Woo Lee a further shot back in fifth alongside Daniel Hillier.

(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Michael Perry)