Chile's Mito Pereira has announced his retirement from professional golf at the age of 30.
Pereira, who is best known for his third place finish at the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, made the surprise announcement in a statement this afternoon, citing a desire to return home to Chile and focus on his personal life as the reason for his decision.
"I spent many years living away from home, in another country, countless weeks in hotels and airports," Pereira said in his statement.
"Now, the time has come to pause. Chile is my place in the world, and my family is my reason for being. Golf taught me resilience, how to navigate both good and difficult moments, and how to make discipline and goals a way of life. I believe I am well prepared for what lies ahead."
The Chilean, who has won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour, had joined the LIV Tour in 2023, linking up with compatriot Jaoquin Niemann's Torque GC outfit.
He is undoubtedly best known for his performance at the 2022 PGA Championship, when he held a three-stroke lead entering the final round.
He retained a one-stroke advantage coming to the 72nd tee-box but proceeded to find the water with a disastrous drive. His resulting double-bogey saw him miss out on the play-off involving Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris, which was eventually won by the former.
Pereira also narrowly missed out at on an Olympic medal in Tokyo, where he was involved in a play-off for the bronze medal alongside Ireland's Rory McIlroy, amongst others. The bronze medal was eventually won by Chinese Taipei's CT Pan after a seven-way play-off.
