PUIG'S FIRST MAJOR: VALUABLE LESSONS AND A HOT BACK-9 STRETCH

• Played a handful of practice rounds in San Diego with World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson. “He’s been very nice to me,” Puig said.

• Practiced Monday on site at Los Angeles Country Club with his Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann.

• Practiced on Tuesday with all his Torque teammates, as Puig and Niemann took on Mito Pereira and Sebastian Munoz in the two-man game they usually play at LIV Golf events. “That was kind of cool,” Niemann said. “Obviously a little different in a major. Still a lot of fun. Me and David won this time.”

• Practiced on Wednesday with Mickelson and Jon Rahm in an all-Arizona State group. “They just do pretty much what I do,” Puig said in regard to the prep work of the multiple major winners. “There’s really no difference that you can see. It was fun to play with them.”

• Nervously stepped onto the first tee Thursday at LACC, then blasted a perfect 339-yard drive en route to an opening birdie. “First tee shot of a major championship is always super special,” Puig said.

• Shot 69-73 to make the cut. At age 21, he was the second-youngest pro to reach the weekend at LACC, behind 20-year-old Tom Kim.

• Suffered through a tough 13-hole stretch to start his third round, with five bogeys and a double bogey that eventually led to a 75.

• Finished his final round with a sizzling stretch of four consecutive birdies, rolling in putts from 22 feet, 28 feet and 14 feet in the process, to shoot 3-under 67 that left him at 4 over for the tournament. “The back nine was fun,” Puig said.

All in all, it’s been a memorable experience for Puig, who left Arizona State early to turn pro last September and join LIV Golf as its youngest member. He walks away on a high note and satisfied that he didn’t leave much on the table.

“I had two good days and two bad days,” he said. “It was a grind every single day. You know, I just fought hard, and I couldn't have not shot any less than what I did.

“A lot of birdies today. Didn't make a lot of birdies the other three days, but, you know, a lot of mistakes, too, that I need to avoid next time if I want to finish higher. But overall, for a first major, pretty happy obviously, and it was very good round today to finish for sure.”

Throughout the four rounds, Puig displayed the versatility and potential that makes him a rising star.

In the first round, he ranked third in the field of 156 players in Strokes Gained: Short Game

In the second round, he ranked 13th in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee.

In the third round, he ranked sixth among the 65 players making the cut in Strokes Gained: Putting.

And midway through the final round, he ranked first in Strokes Gained: Putting, thanks to that hot stretch on the back nine that including a birdie putt on the 12th hole with 10 feet of break. “That thing was breaking so much,” Puig said. “I had the speed and the read and it went in.

So, Puig was asked, what were his takeaways of his first major?

“Overall, I think my putting was very good, which I'm pretty happy about that,” he replied. “Obviously got to keep working on hitting more fairways probably and more greens. What I focus with my coach is just hit greens in regulation. I think that's obviously the most important thing. If you're not in position, you somehow got to try to hit the green because it's very important obviously to hit greens.

“Courses like this, if you miss the fairway, you pretty much cannot hit the green which it starts off the tee. In other courses you can still miss fairways and hit greens. Here, in general, hit more fairways, hit more greens. I would say that for sure.”

That will certainly be the case as he heads to the next LIV Golf League tournament in his home county of Spain at historic Valderrama on June 30-July 2. His Torque GC team is seeking its third team trophy of the season, having won in Orlando and at the most recent event in DC.

Puig has played Valderrama just twice, and never in tournament conditions. But just like at LACC, he knows accuracy will be at a premium at a course that has hosted numerous professional events, including the 1997 Ryder Cup – which took place three years Puig was born.

“Hitting fairways in good spots will be super important to score,” Puig said. “That’s what I’m going to focus on.”

Following his first major start with a tournament on arguably the best course in continental Europe will continue to benefit Puig in the long run.

As Niemann said: “With his first time playing a major, his game suits pretty well for this kind of tournament. He’s super-long and aggressive. With a little bit more experience and being out here, he’ll learn a lot of stuff.”

Perhaps the biggest lesson Puig learned at the U.S. Open is that he has the tools to compete at the highest level.

“I’m still young,” he said. “Playing LIV events, I’ve gained a lot of experience. I know I have the game. I hit it pretty far compared to all these players. It’s just experience. Get a good strategy for every course and try to execute it as well.

“I think I’m getting very close. I’m very excited for the future, for sure.”