LIV GOLF HOUSTON

June 8, 2024

David Puig

Golf Club of Houston

Fireballs GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome David Puig from Fireballs GC. David, you are tied for the lead, sitting at 10-under alongside three other guys. Tell us a little bit about your day.

DAVID PUIG: We had a good day. Started pretty good. Made a couple good pars at the beginning and kind of got it going around the middle of the round and finished pretty good, finished strong. Again, excited to start scoring a little better and have a chance tomorrow.

Q. You have been playing obviously the best golf of your short life. You're so young, but you've been playing excellent. Now you're at the top of the leaderboard here at LIV. What do you attribute that to?

DAVID PUIG: Just hard work, I think. I know I'm still young, obviously, but I put a lot of hours already in my short career, and just seeing that the results start coming, especially on this tour where I still haven't played that good -- I think I played pretty good in Asia and maybe some qualifiers for the majors, but I still didn't play as good as I wanted here on LIV, and it's good that the scores are coming.

Q. You just mentioned the U.S. Open. You qualified for the U.S. Open, one of only two of the players that tried for qualifiers that made it. How excited are you to participate?

DAVID PUIG: Yes, as my second year as a professional I'm going to play four majors in two years, which is super exciting, and I tried to do as much as I can to qualify for those events, and it's good that it's paying off.

Q. I think you also have the Olympics on the horizon, as well. Can you talk a little bit about that?

DAVID PUIG: Yes. Right now I'm in. There's two Spaniards that are trying to catch me because everything is pretty tight. Obviously I wish them luck, but yeah, I think the deadline is right after the U.S. Open, so I have a little chance there in case they get past me this week in Sweden where they're playing. Yeah, it would be great to play alongside Jon at the Olympics. It would be a dream come true for sure.

Q. The Fireballs are currently in first place, so tomorrow you're going to be on the first tee in the lead group. Where is your focus and attention tomorrow when you're looking at the leaderboard? Is it on yours, the team, both?

DAVID PUIG: I'd say both for sure. We haven't had a pretty good result yet this year. I know we finished -- I think it's either second or third in Singapore, but we still haven't played the way we're supposed to do, I think, for a good team, as good a team as we are.

Yeah, tomorrow is going to be both. Obviously I want to play good for myself, but if I play good for myself, I'm going to help the Fireballs, as well, so hopefully we can win both.

Q. Tell me how your preparations are for tomorrow. Obviously it's a crowded board. What are your thoughts going into that final round and how you're going to try and get that elusive championship?

DAVID PUIG: Just the same preparation as I've been doing. I'm not going to change much. Try to get some rest tonight and get ready for tomorrow and just do my warm-up as I usually do and hopefully have a good day and good chances.

Q. With such a crowded field, does that bring confidence when you look at the leaderboard? Do you say, this guy does this or this guy does that or do you just say I'm just going to play the best game I can and do what you've got to do?

DAVID PUIG: Yeah, obviously when there's a lot of names on top, you can't imagine all the scenarios, but at the end of the day you need to play your best golf and give it a shot, and hopefully it's good enough to beat all the other guys.

Q. A lot of big names when you talk about Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau. How will you break out and win the individual title in this tournament?

DAVID PUIG: Yeah, obviously these guys are very good. That's why they're on top pretty much every week. But I know I'm good, as well. I just haven't had my chances yet, but I know I'm good. I know I have the game.

At the end of the day I just need to execute the best game I have for tomorrow, and I think if I play my best game, I know that's going to be enough.

But obviously I've got to perform very good.

Q. Any extra set of nerves standing on that tee box tomorrow?

DAVID PUIG: Probably, but I always tell myself that nerves are good. If I have nerves, that means I'm doing things right and that I care. I think I'll have maybe some more nerves than I did these two days, but at the end of the day, they're good, so I'm looking forward to it.

Q. You have a chance to kill it here. How do you explain that, and has it been frustrating or has it been -- you're racking up some wins and some World Ranking points. How do you view it?

DAVID PUIG: It's definitely frustrating, but I always tell everybody that asks me the same question. I've been playing the same -- I've been having the same level in LIV competitions and other competitions. I just haven't been scoring that good and for whatever reason not making the putts I was supposed to make, a couple bounces here and there. Obviously the scores are pretty bad overall if you look at the whole season. Maybe those two top 15s were fine, but the rest of the events I've been more on the bottom than on top for sure. I know I'm playing good, so this week just kind of being on top, it makes me feel a little better for sure, but yeah, I'm confident and looking forward for tomorrow.

Q. Did you bring a lot of momentum into this tournament off the medalist performance?

DAVID PUIG: Probably, yeah.

Q. Did that help at all?

DAVID PUIG: For sure. It's something that we're not used to or I'm not used to playing, like 36 holes on a Monday. Usually I get here on Mondays and kind of prepare for the week, but I was in San Francisco on Monday playing 36 holes. Seeing those scores, that I have a good result there and coming here, it for sure gave me some confidence, and I'm glad it's paying off.

Q. Did they ask you about your mindset tomorrow?

DAVID PUIG: Yeah, a little bit. Again --

Q. It's a stacked leaderboard, a lot of people.

DAVID PUIG: Yeah, for sure, it's a lot of people. But at the end of the day it's the same stuff. I've got to do my own thing. I know I have the game, so I just need to perform and try to play my best golf, and if that happens, I'll have a chance for sure.