Last year, Elvis Smylie won at the Royal Queensland Golf Club. So the fans packed the gallery, hoping for a local hero to lift the Joe Kirkwood Cup, but David Puig arrived on the scene to tear it up and rewrite history. Puig came to write his name in the history books by becoming the first Spanish player to win this event since the great Seve Ballesteros.

Seve won this exact trophy back in 1981, over four decades ago, and Puig is now the heir to that incredible legacy at just 23 years old. The 23-year-old David Puig shot rounds of 68, 67, 65 and 66 to win the BMW Australian PGA Championship by 2 shots on debut as a full DP World Tour member. This victory earns him a 2-year exemption.

Puig started his Sunday in a tight three-way tie for the lead and stood at 13-under par alongside Ricardo Gouveia and local hope Anthony Quayle. Aussie stars like Min Woo Lee and Marc Leishman lurked close behind. But the Spaniard wasted absolutely no time asserting his dominance on the front nine and blasted three straight birdies on holes two, three, and four to create the gap and finally won it at 18-under par.

“It feels amazing. I really had a lot of close calls in a few events this year and last year, but wasn’t able to pull it through. It feels unbelievable, especially winning here in Australia,” said Puig after the win. “I was pretty nervous to be fair, especially thinking about the past a little bit. I was definitely nervous, but I kept my composure really well.”

The trophy lift looked easy, but Puig had to fight off a hungry pack. China’s Wenyi Ding emerged as the surprise package, firing a 66 to finish solo second at 16-under. And LIV Golf star Marc Leishman got within two shots before a costly bogey on the 14th hole killed his momentum. That error left him tied for third at 15-under par alongside New Zealander Nick Voke.

Pre-tournament favorite Min Woo Lee couldn’t quite find his spark on Sunday, settling for a 69. The 2023 champion, Lee, struggled to convert chances on the back nine and finished tied for fifth at 14-under. Veteran Adam Scott hit the ball beautifully, but ended up finishing in seventh place at 13-under. Even defending champion Elvis Smylie put up a decent fight but ultimately finished well back at 9-under par in 19th place.

The home crowd also missed their biggest hero as Cameron Smith shockingly missed the cut on Friday. So it was a well-deserved victory that also secured his professional future.

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David Puig handed a golden ticket and a hefty check

Puig won a winner’s check worth a cool $425,000 AUD for his efforts. But the real prize is far more valuable than this. The 23-year-old Spaniard earned a “Golden Ticket,” which is a two-year exemption on the DP World Tour valid through the 2027 season. This effectively secures his future in the traditional ecosystem regardless of his status with LIV Golf. It also creates a legitimate pathway for him to qualify for Major Championships and potentially the Ryder Cup.

But the young champion has zero time to rest on his laurels after this massive breakthrough. Puig heads straight to Melbourne for the prestigious Australian Open starting next week, and he will tackle the famous sandbelt courses at Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath against an even stronger field featuring Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, Min Woo Lee, and Adam Scott.

Smith will be desperate for redemption after missing the cut in Brisbane. Fellow LIV star Joaquin Niemann also joins the field to challenge for the historic Stonehaven Cup. And local heroes like Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee will definitely want revenge on their home soil. The tournament will also see the much-anticipated return of Rory McIlroy, making his first appearance in Australia since 2014 and aiming to recapture the title he won more than a decade ago and start the 2026 season in style.