PGA Championship goes to playoff after Mito Pereira collapse on 18: Golf Twitter goes wild
Mito Pereira only needed a bogey to get into a playoff at the PGA Championship or a par to win. Instead, he dunked his drive in the water in unthinkable fashion.
Despite walking onto the 18th hole at 3-over for the final round of the 2022 PGA Championship, Mito Pereira was still in position to capture his first win outside of the Korn Ferry Tour with a one-shot lead over Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris. All he needed was a par to go on to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy.
As he did just a few holes earlier, though, he didn’t play the conservative shot off the tee and, instead, pulled out the driver.
That turned out to be a catastrophic mistake.
With an off-balance and, frankly, ugly swing, the drive went veering hard to the right and bounced into the creek running down that side of the fairway, forcing him to drop and be hitting his third shot on the approach into the already difficult hole.
Mito Pereira's tee shot on the 18th.pic.twitter.com/sNZTAoYTKr
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 22, 2022
Golf Twitter can’t believe PGA Championship finish from Mito Pereira
After Pereira’s tee shot found the water and he was unable to get up and down for even a bogey to join Zalatoris and Thomas in the playoff, golf Twitter was in awe of the drama unfolding in Tulsa.
Walking with somebody who saw Mito off the tee on 18 and said “it looked like he got electrocuted at impact.”
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) May 22, 2022
Death by a thousand paper cuts for Mito. Just a brutal scene.
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) May 22, 2022
Mito on 18 pic.twitter.com/GP96QMV0LH
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) May 22, 2022
Win probability to start the day per @DataGolf:
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) May 22, 2022
Pereira: 51%
Zalatoris: 14.6%
JT: 1.2%
Jt Zalatoris playoff is fundamentally HILARIOUS
— Brian Kirschner (@BrianKirschner_) May 22, 2022
That was a gross swing off the tee for Mito. I officially feel bad for hoping that to happen.
— Eddie Radosevich (@Eddie_Rado) May 22, 2022
Good lord . I am praying for the Mito faithful. Truly
— Christopher Powers (@CPowers14) May 22, 2022
But really. Poor Mito. Gutted for him. He seems like a lovely lad and im sure this is just the start of a great career
— Amanda Rose (@AmandaGolf59) May 22, 2022
That’s at least 50% on Mito’s caddy. You really need to hit driver there? At least you’ve gotta slow your guy down https://t.co/8umoR5pAre
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) May 22, 2022
Feel for Mito.
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) May 22, 2022
He was brilliant all week. Remember Scottie after winning the Masters admitting he was in tears Sunday morning wondering if he was ready for that day? He’s ranked 1. Mito is 100. First time on the stage. It’s a LOT.
Playoff should be fun. Wish Mito made it.
As mentioned, Pereira failed to get up and down even to make bogey, which put Zalatoris and Thomas into a playoff.
But if you were looking for major championship drama, this was it in the absolute biggest way and, unfortunately, coupled with the immense heartbreak for the young Chilean who, with all earnestness, still has an exceptionally bright future.
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