Spain's David Puig pulls clear to claim Australian PGA Championship title
Spain's David Puig kisses the Joe Kirkwood Cup after winning the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane. Pic: Patrick Hamilton, Getty Images
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.
The Australian PGA is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australia and the European tour, which is starting its 2025-26 season just two weeks after Rory McIlroy won the Race to Dubai title.
McIlroy will highlight the field in next week’s Australian Open.








