Phil Mickelson makes latest audacious claim about LIV Golf talent

Phil Mickelson compared David Puig to the late, great Seve Ballesteros after the young Spaniard captured his third professional win in Australia. 

The 23-year-old shot a bogey-free 66 last Sunday to win the Australian PGA Championship by two shots from China's Wenyi Ding at Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane. 

It represented Puig's first DP World Tour title and third overall after capturing two victories on the Asian Tour in 2023 and 2024. 

Puig competes in the LIV Golf League as a member of Sergio Garcia's Fireballs. 

Mickelson took to X to praise Puig and claimed his short game is on the same level as Ballesteros. 

Ballesteros, who won five major championships between 1979 and 1988, is widely regarded as greatest short-game player ever such was his magical creativity around the greens. 

The European legend died aged 54 in 2011 after a battle with cancer. 

"190 ball speed, short game on Seve's level, putts as well as anyone in the game, and plays fearless every day," Mickelson wrote on his X account. 

"Same as Josele (Ballester, Puig's teammate) and they are together every day pushing each other to get better. The wins are just going to keep adding up for a very long time."

This is not the first time Mickelson has made a strong claim about a LIV Golf player. 

In March, he labelled Joaquin Niemann as the best player in the world after the Chilean captured his fourth individual win on the breakaway tour in Singapore. 

His "hot take" also included the claim that Scottie Scheffler would not win before the Ryder Cup.

Scheffler went on to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, PGA Championship, the Memorial, The Open, BMW Championship and the Procore Championship. 

Mickelson later joked: "So I might have been off on that one."

What the win meant for Puig

Puig was extremely emotional after he emulated his compatriot Ballesteros. 

"I never saw him play in person, which kind of sucks to be honest," he told reporters of Ballesteros. 

"But obviously you watch replays of every major he won and kind how he did and his little movie and show that there is, seen it at least three or four times.

"He's such a big figure for Spanish golf and you see also Jon (Rahm) and pretty much every player but kind of close with Jon Rahm and the stories that he has and all he knows about what Seve accomplished too and everything.

"It's just his presence and everything he accomplished. I guess it's just part of Spanish players and in a way we try to be like Seve and play with that freedom.

"Kind of follow his short game a little bit and his attitude and behaviour and how much he cared and all that. 

"So we all kind of try and look like a little bit like him and hopefully we’re kind on the right path."