A left-handed opening batsman, Puttick represented South Africa at the 1999 Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka. After making his first class debut in 2000-01, he immediately made an impact with a century in his 3rd game, against Easterns at Newlands. He plays for Western Province in domestic cricket and has a highest score of 250 not out.
Puttick toured Sri Lanka with South Africa A in 2003 and returned there in 2004 but this time with the national squad. Replacing Herschelle Gibbs, he remained on the sidelines all tour and had to wait until 2005 for his international debut. In an ODI against New Zealand at Cape Town, Puttick was bowled by Shane Bond for a duck.