Chilean professional golfer Mito Pereira has declared his retirement from competitive golf at age 30, marking the end of a career that included both remarkable highs and heartbreaking near-misses. The announcement came via social media on Monday, where Pereira revealed he had been contemplating this decision for some time.
Pereira’s career will be most remembered for his dramatic performance at the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, where he held a three-shot lead entering the final round and maintained a one-shot advantage approaching the 18th hole. In a fateful decision, he aggressively selected driver and found the water hazard, resulting in a double bogey that left him one stroke short of the playoff eventually won by Justin Thomas.
After joining the LIV Golf League in 2023, Pereira earned approximately $11.5 million over three seasons but finished 51st in the standings this year, resulting in relegation from the league. His manager recently disclosed that Pereira had suffered a broken collarbone in a bicycle accident, further complicating his competitive future.
In his retirement statement, Pereira emphasized evolving priorities: “After many years connected to this beautiful sport, priorities naturally evolve. Today, my main desire is to step away from constant travel, return to Chile, and focus on my personal life.” He reflected on the extensive travel demands of professional golf and expressed readiness to embrace his next chapter, citing family as his primary motivation.
Beyond his PGA Championship performance, Pereira competed in a playoff for the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and represented the International team in the 2022 Presidents Cup. He reached a career-high world ranking of 44 before transitioning to LIV Golf, where he initially found success with two top-3 finishes but saw declining results in subsequent seasons.