. “I’m very happy, all the work behind it has been worth it, I’m very proud of the result and I’m really looking forward to being in Paris.”

. “I like that Jon and I can represent Spain together, and I’m really looking forward to learning from him, seeing how he prepares for the tournament, and absorbing all the advice he can offer.”

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David Puig, who along with Jon Rahm represents Spain in golf at the Paris 2024 Games, will make his Olympic debut at 22 years old. His participation in Le Golf National between August 1st and 4th was confirmed just a month ago amidst considerable uncertainty.

David Puig's Olympic qualification – he has been playing for LIV Golf since 2023, whose tournaments do not count towards the World Ranking –

It happened after he starred in

A spectacular run in recent months, culminating in his last-minute victory after making the cut at the US Open. Had he failed to do so, his place would have been taken by Jorge Campillo from Cáceres.

This action, full of suspense – on the first day he scored 76 strokes which required an outstanding comeback on the second, with 68 strokes, to access the final two rounds – culminated several months of hunting and capturing the Olympic objective by participating, with good results, in competitions of other circuits that did generate points before achieving qualification for the US Open, to make matters worse, through a specific prior tournament for this purpose.

Did it ever cross your mind just a year ago that you would be competing in the Paris Olympics?

You always ask yourself these questions, but it's true that you don't know if such big goals, like representing Spain at the Games, will come true so soon. I'm very happy; all the hard work behind it has been worth it. I'm very proud of the result and really looking forward to being in Paris.

Your trajectory in this regard has been spectacular, gaining points in the World Ranking at an incredible speed to overtake Jorge Campillo. When did you really feel, “I’m going to be in Paris”?

The truth is, I had to wait until the very end, during the US Open, when I made the cut after the second round. It wasn't the challenge of the week, but in the end, it became the goal. I was lucky enough to play on the second and third rounds, and that's when I felt the relief of achieving my objective. These last two years have been very good.

You have shown an incredible ability to overcome adversity, what other things define you as a player?

I'm a hard worker; ever since I was little, I've always been driven to get up early and train as much as possible. It's important to have a great attitude and good routines, to do what I love every day.

You're going to play on a course, the Golf National, that you know well; you played there in a World Amateur Championship not too long ago. What do you think of the course?

I remember it's a course with a lot of water, where you have to be quite precise on most shots. It's a fantastic course, and I have good memories of it because I finished fourth in that World Cup. Jon also knows it well; he beat Tiger in the Ryder Cup, so that could work in our favor because we both hit the ball quite hard and there are some pretty long holes. Let's hope we can have a great week.

What does it mean to you to share the Olympic experience with a true character like Jon Rahm?

It's a great honor. I'm lucky to be a good friend of his; we see each other often when we're in Arizona and then at the LIV Golf events throughout the season. I'm happy that we get to represent Spain together, and I'm really looking forward to learning from him, seeing how he prepares for the tournament, and absorbing all the advice he can offer.

What can you contribute to each other during the Olympic tournament?

I think the atmosphere is going to be great, we're going to have a lot of fun. We have a very relaxed relationship, we enjoy each other's company, there are jokes, good rivalries. Even during the practice sessions there will be tension between us, which will get us into the tournament quickly. We're both very competitive, we really like to win. Between the two of us, I think we can do very well.