Mito Pereira confesses after touching the glory of the PGA Championship: “The strategy was the right one, I think I would do the same”

Silence grips the green 18 flag of the Southern Hills. No one (and at the same time everyone) wants to watch Myth Pereira . Only a general murmur crosses a brutal image. After leading the PGA Championship for most of the weekend, he sadly lost the major, with a double bogey on the final hole.

But from this moment of pain, the native of Pirque also learns. He’s done something historic, and despite not getting the final prize, the path he’s traveled has already put him somewhere else. He reflects on it in this interview with El Deportivo, a few days before returning to compete in the PGA. Although it doesn’t stop there. He also has time to talk about Chile, Latin America and this cursed outcome.

What are your feelings after the PGA Championship?

I had two days to rest, so I’m already looking forward to getting out and playing again for a rematch soon. On the other hand I am happy to have been able to have this result, obviously it is not the end that I expected but I try to take it in a positive way, that is to say to know that I can win a major and for which I was fighting something very big.

Could you imagine yourself in the top 50 of the PGA in such a short time?

Getting into the top 50 in the world was one of the goals of the year and obviously it’s something incredible to have achieved it. I am happy to be in this position. Without a doubt, I want to keep doing my best.

I take him to the 18th hole at Southern Hills. Why didn’t he make it out? Was it a mental factor?

I couldn’t tell you exactly what it was, but obviously a bad swing, at the wrong time. It was a tough tee shot, it was the first time I was in this situation, I think it all adds up. I still have to say that I’ve landed shots like this thousands of times and a lot of people have landed shots like this a million times, so it won’t be the last time. I don’t think there’s anything key, but it’s something that can happen in a minute.

What would you change about this release?

The strategy was the right one, I wanted to play par to win directly and not go to the playoffs. I think I would still hit the same stick, I think I would hit the same shot, which is a low shot, with a little left to right spin. Looking back, it might have taken me a little longer, but I don’t know. With Monday’s paper, it’s easier to talk, but of course I’ll be better prepared for next time.

What could he talk to Joaquín Niemann about after the tournament?

In this very minute, it’s hard to say anything other than “well done, hard last” because there’s not much anyone can say to get you out of this situation. All that remains is to support the other and let them know that it was a good championship. We spoke later on WhatsApp and he said to me “you came third in a major, that’s amazing stuff”.

Another postcard from the tournament saw him with Niemann, Ancer and Sebastián Muñoz in the final round. Did the South American Legion help you this last day?

More than helping, it’s being able to spend time with friends. After a game, after a long day, to be able to go home (in tournaments they usually stay together) and laugh, to be able to talk about everything, to disconnect from everything that generates tension in golf. More than helping on the inside of the course, that’s what they help on the outside…but it also ends up helping your golf.

Thanks to the explosion you are experiencing, will Latin America become an important continent within the PGA?

First of all, I think Chile is going to have, and is having, very strong growth and I think that gives people in Latin America the idea that it’s possible. Obviously, we’re far from the United States, we’re smaller, we have less access, so maybe seeing seven Latinos doing really well can give us a lot more hope.

What is missing to make this leap?

In the United States, there are a million public courses, there is much more access to play golf. In Chile it’s not a popular sport, it’s expensive so it’s complicated. I wouldn’t know how to give people more access; I can’t change that, I think that’s where the Federation comes in, which is working to make it more accessible to everyone. Maybe corporations can help make golf popular, so I think that’s where it has to start. I still believe that Joaco’s results and mine can help generate that incentive in people or businesses who want to grow the game of golf.

Many people think golfers are robots. They spend hours playing and barely gesticulate…

I’ve played golf all my life, I think that’s a factor. I’m already very used to it. But I have also been working a lot on the mental issue since 2018 and one of the main things is to maintain a stable line without too many emotions. Neither very happy nor very angry. These are things that we work on and that make you better and better.

Garin recently said he plays golf, which is becoming more common among athletes. Nadal, Alcaraz, Murray, Guardiola, Bale, Canelo Álvarez do it too. Why do you think this is happening?

It is a sport which, when practiced in an amateur way, is not invasive for the body. If they go cycling they might fall, however it is very difficult to get injured here when doing it in an amateurish way. There’s also the fact that you share with people and apart from that it’s very difficult, so it gives you the feeling that you can improve all the time. It also gives you a mental chart that not only helps in sports, but in life.

What has changed in the myth that has won the three Korn Ferry Tour with this one who is already immersed in the PGA?

Obviously, I have more experience, I play good golf. Personally, I’m still the same, I don’t think a win changes my personality much. I only grew as a golfer on the course and that allowed me to have better results.

Has the external impact changed?

Yes, this week for example I came to the Colonial to play this tournament (The Charles Schwab Challenge) and everyone congratulated me, greeted me and it was cool to be able to feel it. I haven’t had the pleasure of going to Chile yet since I started this PGA season, but if I’m lucky in December I can go and I’m sure it’s going to be amazing . The support I’ve had from there is very noticeable and it’s amazing how golf has grown, especially the people who follow golf.

How has life been in the United States lately?

I live in Jupiter, Florida. So it was a good experience. I haven’t been to Chile since January, but being here is very comfortable to go to tournaments and train. I think coming to live here was a good decision.

What’s he doing there besides playing golf?

I live very close to Joaco, so we have barbecues, we go to the beach. The truth is, I do everything that isn’t golf. I got married in January so I’ve been with my wife for a long time, but the truth is that when we don’t have championships, what we want most is a lot of rest. We arrive super tired, so most of the time that’s it.