TULSA, OKLAHOMA | Mito Pereira will have a lifetime to think about what could have been at the PGA Championship on Sunday at Southern Hills.
About the half turn his golf ball needed on the 17th green to give him a two-stroke lead with one unforgiving hole to play.
And about his decision to lash at a driver on the finishing hole, knowing that a creek lurked down the right side of the 18th fairway, a decision that seemed reckless in retrospect, setting in motion a dream-crushing double bogey that almost instantly linked Pereira to Phil Mickelson and Jean Van de Velde, whose 72nd-hole blunders are written in the game’s history.
At the end of a Sunday when he seemed on the edge of escaping despite not having his best stuff, Pereira succumbed to the moment and was left to wonder what had happened as Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris went into a playoff without him.
“On Monday I just wanted to make the cut. On Sunday I wanted to win,” the 27-year-old Chilean said after shooting a final-round 5-over-par 75 on a day when he started with a three-stroke lead.
“I thought I was nervous the first day. Then I thought I was nervous the second day. Then I thought I was nervous on the third day, but the fourth day was terrible. I mean, this morning was tough.”
Mito Pereira
Competing in just his second major championship, Pereira had played the difficult, uphill 18th in 1 under through three rounds, closing his Saturday round with a birdie there. When he reached the 18th tee on Sunday, he grabbed his driver (only four players hit more fairways during the week than Pereira) and made a vicious swing that ended with an abbreviated finish as his ball headed toward the creek.
Pereira said he thought he made the same swing that he made on the 18th tee on Saturday.
“Low and straight’ – I’m really confident with that one. I don’t know what happened,” he said.
Nerves were part of it, Pereira conceded.
“I thought I was nervous the first day,” Pereira said. “Then I thought I was nervous the second day. Then I thought I was nervous on the third day, but the fourth day was terrible. I mean, this morning was tough.
“I just played it through, and actually had a one-shot lead on 18 and that was pretty good, and sad to hit it in the water. I mean, I wish I could do it again.
“On 18, I wasn't even thinking about the water. I just wanted to put it in play, and I guess I aimed too far right. I just hit in the water. It's not how I wanted to end up this week, but really good result. Played really good. Today I was really nervous. I tried to handle it a little bit, but it's really tough. I thought I was going to win.”
Ron Green Jr.