David Puig didn't hold back when asked about playing alongside Aldrich Potgieter during the first two rounds of the PGA Championship at Aronimink. The young South African has been making waves, and Puig—himself a rising star on LIV Golf—was clearly impressed by what he saw.
Both players head into the weekend with a real shot at the title. Puig sits at two under par after a stellar 67 on Friday, while Potgieter is one stroke ahead at three under, despite stumbling with back-to-back bogeys on the 17th and 18th holes to close his second round. It's a testament to the 21-year-old's resilience that he's still in the mix, especially considering he's had a tough start to the season on the PGA Tour, with just one top-10 finish so far.
Puig, who has already won on the DP World Tour and ranks seventh in the LIV standings, was full of praise for his playing partner. "It was awesome. He's a really talented player. He hits it really far. I think I hit it pretty far, but he's definitely longer than me," Puig said. "And, yeah, obviously the last couple holes, with a couple bogeys, but he played unbelievable golf today and yesterday. He's pretty much accomplished a lot of things already, but he's got a really, really bright future in front of him. Amazing player."
Potgieter's game is built on raw power—he leads the PGA Tour in driving distance and ranks fourth in strokes gained off the tee. But his short game has been a work in progress; he sits outside the top 100 in strokes gained around the green and putting. Still, this week at Aronimink, he's proving that his long game can carry him far. Before this, Potgieter had missed the cut in four of his five major appearances and never finished higher than 64th. That's all set to change—you'd expect him to post by far his best major finish come Sunday.
For fans of the game, watching these two young talents battle it out at a major is a treat. Potgieter has a point to prove, and Puig is showing he can hang with the best. This weekend at the PGA Championship is shaping up to be a defining moment for both.