DUBAI INVITATIONAL

January 16, 2026

David Puig

Dubai Creek Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. All things considered, I know your energy levels are low, in the testing conditions today, how pleased are you to be in the hunt with that 72?

DAVID PUIG: It was one of the weirdest rounds of my life to be tear. I thought I made pretty good overall and obviously made a couple big numbers at the beginning. One of them was pretty unusual from the green-side bunker. Took me a few shots to get it out.

Then on 17, just hit an awful shot off the tee. And obviously, yeah, shot 41 on the front, and somehow I kind of kept battling and kept fighting. Had an unbelievable back nine, front nine on the course, and really happy with how I finished.

Q. Stark contrast between your nines today. What did you tell yourself going into that back nine to get yourself back inside with some decent numbers?

DAVID PUIG: And my caddie we chatted a little bit. We told ourselves, we're only five, six shots back at the time which it wasn't that much. You know, obviously made a great birdie on 1 and 3 and 4.

Obviously something clicked a little bit for sure. We just kind of kept going. We knew the front nine was playing a little easier than the back, especially the last three or four holes. So yeah we took advantage of it and it was great.

Q. What will be your approach to getting it done this weekend?

DAVID PUIG: Hopefully the wind calms down a little bit. Fairways and greens. There's not much more to it. I'm hitting it pretty good off the tee. Hopefully I keep doing the same, and you know, hitting quality shots into the green and hopefully making a few birdies.