David Puig followed in the footsteps of European golf legend Seve Ballesteros by becoming the second Spaniard to triumph at the BMW Australian PGA Championship, winning by a dramatic two-shot margin.
The 23-year-old shot a flawless 66 (-6) on the final day, finishing the tournament at 18-under par (68-67-65-66) and capturing his first DP World Tour title on the 15th attempt.
Puig started the day in the lead, along with two other players, but quickly took the lead with three consecutive birdies on holes 2, 3, and 4, opening up a three-shot lead. He then maintained control with further birdies on the 8th and 13th, fending off attacks from his pursuers and returning with a series of pars to become the first winner of the 2026 DP World Tour season.
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Puig, results
Wenyi Ding finished alone in second place at 16-under par, thanks to a 66 with seven birdies and two bogeys. Marc Leishman and Nick Voke were one shot behind him in third place.
Gregorio De Leo was the best of the Italians, finishing in 14th place with an excellent total of -10 (71-69-65-69). A solid weekend, with an exceptional 65 (-7) on Saturday, allowed him to climb the leaderboard. Behind him, Stefano Mazzoli finished in 25th place at -8 (70-70-70-66), with an excellent fourth day that rewarded his consistency. Renato Paratore (69-72) and Filippo Celli (73-73) failed to make the cut, exiting the tournament after two rounds.
Following Ballesteros, winner of the event at Royal Melbourne in 1981, Puig commented:
It's incredible to win here in Australia; I'm really excited and happy. I was definitely nervous, but I think I kept my cool very well. That start helped a lot.
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I want to thank my girlfriend, who has been with me for the past seven years, and also my parents and her family. We are a very close group; we understand each other very well. Their support is simply fantastic. Seeing my name next to Seve's as the only two Spaniards to win this tournament makes it even more special.
