Unflappable Spaniard David Puig has joined legendary countryman Seve Ballesteros as an Australian PGA Championship winner.
Puig emerged from a congested field at Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane to claim a two-stroke victory ahead of China’s Ding Wenyi.
The 23-year-old LIV Golf talent burst three strokes clear after consecutive birdies on the second, third and fourth holes to shoot a 5-under-par 66 on Sunday.
He finished the tournament at 18-under.
Puig followed in the footsteps of Ballesteros, who won the Australian PGA Championship by three strokes in 1981.
Ballesteros had already claimed the Masters and British Open when he triumphed at Royal Melbourne 44 years ago.
The final round began with 31 players jostling within six shots of the lead.
But Puig made the first move and then had all the answers to claim the record $450,000 prize.
Australians Marc Leishman (15-under, tied for third) and Min Woo Lee (14-under, tied for fifth) both got within two shots after the turn in the final round, before shooting 67 and 69 respectively.
Adam Scott (69) finished seventh at 13-under, left to lament a string of near misses for birdie early in his round that kept him at arm’s length from the leaders.
New Zealander Nick Voke (66) made a late run to finish in a tie for third with Leishman, while countryman Daniel Hillier (14-under) had four back-nine birdies to share fifth with Lee.
AAP
