'I wish I could do it again' admits Mito Pereira of shot that cost him PGA title

Add Mito Pereira to the long list of golfers who’d love to get a second chance with one crucial shot at the business end of a major.

“I wish I could do it again”, admitted the Chilean of his costly tee shot at the 72nd hole in the 104th PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa.

Playing in just his second major, Pereira had one hand on the Wanamaker Trophy as he came to the par-4 18th at the Oklahoma venue holding the lead.

If he’d kept in play, it would probably have been job done and even a bogey would have got him into a play-off.

Mito Pereira cuts a dejected figure on the 18th green during the final round of the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Picture: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images.

But, after taking a driver when it was clear that a 3-wood was the safe play, Pereira found water on the right, missed the green with his third and couldn’t get up and down.

“I wasn’t even thinking about the water,” insisted the 27-year-old, who ended up having to settle for a share of third spot as victory went instead to Justin Thomas as he beat Will Zalatoris in that play-off.

“I just wanted to put it in play, and I guess I aimed too far right. It's not how I wanted to end up this week, but a really good result.”

It certainly was, but, at the same time, he knew that a golden opportunity to pull off a stunning first PGA Tour triumph had slipped from his grasp.

“I thought I was going to win on 18, but it is what it is. We'll have another one,” added Pereria, who was brutally honest about how it felt being in contention in the season’s second major. “I thought I was nervous the first, second and third day, but the fourth day was terrible,” he said.

Periera’s performance was timely in terms of the US Open as a jump of 51 spots to 49th in the world rankings has earned him an exemption for that event at Brookline.

Having jumped to 14th in the standings, Zalatoris also secured his spot in the season’s third major, as did former major winners Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley.

Others now in the field through being in the top 60 at the latest cut-off include English quartet Richard Bland, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton, as well as Irishman Seamus Power.