Asian Tour Yearbook: 2023

I N T ER NAT IONA L SER I E S S I NGA POR E TA N A H M E R A H CO U N T RY C L U B , TAM P I N E S CO U R S E | O C TO B E R 5 - 8 , 2 0 2 3 | P R I Z E MON E Y U S $ 2 M I L L I ON David Puig [LEFT AND FAR RIGHT] had a nine-shot lead at the start of the final day. W ith David Puig it was always only a matter of time before he clinched his maiden victory as a professional. The surprise to those who had followed the progress of the supremely gifted Spaniard was that it took him 13 months to achieve that landmark. However, when it did come it was in stunning fashion – leaving a high-quality field trailing distantly in his wake at the International Series Singapore. In blazing conditions at Tanah Merah Country Club (TMCC) in the seventh International Series event of the season, Puig simply proved too hot to handle. “It’s awesome,” said Puig, who won US$360,000 for his wire-to-wire success, and, at the age of 21, became the youngest winner of an International Series event in what was just his ninth start as an Asian Tour member. His intent was clear from the outset, a scorching, bogey-free eight-under 64 over the TMCC’s Tampines Course giving him a three-stroke lead after the first round. Driving the ball prodigious distances, striking his irons with authority and displaying a silky putting stroke, Puig’s second-day 66 enabled him to extend his advantage to six strokes at the half-way stage. Rather than easing up, he kept his foot firmly on the accelerator. Another 66 in round three took him nine shots clear of second-placed Korean Jaewoong Eom, the biggest round three lead of the year. Furthermore, his 20-under 196 total was the lowest 54-hole score of the season. Nonetheless, with numerous winning opportunities having slipped through his grasp over the previous nine months, Puig could have been forgiven if a few negative thoughts entered his head. On his Asian Tour debut in the 2022 International Series Morocco, Puig led after three rounds before finishing third. Further frustration followed in 2023. At August’s International Series England, he finished fourth after setting the half-way pace. The following week he held a three-shot lead after two rounds at the St Andrews Championship but ended tied for 14th. Another fast start saw him lead after day one at the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea in September, before coming home in equal 11th place. In Singapore, though, those close calls were forgotten. After the fireworks of the first three days, Puig was content to adopt amore pragmatic approach for the final round. He made the turn in one under, before a minor wobble with bogeys on 11 and 14. Puig had a six-shot lead going to the 18th, which playing partner Eom birdied to narrow the final margin to five shots. “This is my first year as a professional, SIZZLING PUIG TOO HOT TO HANDLE SPANIARD’S TANAH MERAH BREAKTHROUGH 112