What's happened
Mito Pereira, who nearly won the 2022 PGA Championship, has retired at age 30 after a challenging stint with LIV Golf. He cited a desire to focus on personal life and return to Chile, ending a career marked by a major near-miss and a brief stint in LIV Golf.
What's behind the headline?
Pereira's retirement underscores the volatility of professional golf careers, especially for players who switch tours like LIV Golf. His departure highlights ongoing issues with LIV Golf's lack of world ranking points, which affects player motivation and career longevity. The league's efforts to gain ranking points and implement merit-based promotion suggest a strategic move to stabilize its reputation and competitiveness. Pereira's story also exemplifies how personal priorities can override professional ambitions, especially after a career-defining moment like his 2022 PGA near-miss. His exit may influence other players contemplating similar career shifts, emphasizing the importance of personal fulfillment over financial gains.
What the papers say
AP News and NY Post provide contrasting perspectives: AP News emphasizes Pereira's career achievements and his reasons for retirement, highlighting his near-miss at the PGA Championship and his desire to return to Chile. The NY Post focuses more on his struggles in LIV Golf and his decision to step away from the sport entirely, framing it as a reflection of the league's ongoing issues with ranking points and competitive legitimacy. Both sources agree on Pereira's personal motivations but differ in their framing of his career trajectory and the broader implications for LIV Golf.
How we got here
Pereira rose to prominence with a near-win at the 2022 PGA Championship, where a final-round double bogey cost him the title. He turned pro in 2015, joined LIV Golf in 2023, and struggled in subsequent seasons, finishing 51st in 2025 and being relegated from his team. His decision to retire reflects a shift in priorities towards family and personal well-being.
Go deeper
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Guillermo "Mito" Pereira Hinke is a Chilean professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, having earned an automatic three-win promotion from the 2020–21 Korn Ferry Tour.
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Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It occupies a long, narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.