8 Things You Didn't Know About Paul Barjon

1. Barjon was born in Bordeaux, France in September 1992. His birthday is the 19th. However, he grew up in New Caledonia which is a French province located in the Pacific.

2. He attended Texas Christian University and whilst there doing an arts and sciences pre-major. In fact he still calls himself a fan of the team.

3. Barjon is the son of Paul and Marie Barjon and he has a brother called Louis.

4. His only victory on the Korn Ferry Tour came at the 2021 Huntsville Championship. At the end of regulation, he was tied with Billy Kennerly and Mito Pereira, and on the third playoff hole – played at the par-5 10th hole – Pereira made birdie. However, Barjon holed a 20-foot eagle putt to win. 

5. His favorite athletes are Tony Parker and Tiger Woods. He also says his dream foursome would include Woods, his dad and his grandfather. And because of his fandom for Parker, he still cites himself as a San Antonio Spurs fan, a team Parker played with for many years.

6. Barjon spent time with the French national team and French junior squad. For example he was selected to represent France along with TCU teammate Julien Brun at the 2012 World Amateur Championship in Turkey. The squad would finish third in the event.

7. Before competing at the 2023 US Open, Barjon had played in two previous Majors, the 2020 and 2021 US Opens. He missed the cut in both.

8. Lists the coolest thing he's ever done outside of golf as scuba diving.

Day 1 Review

Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York hosts the second Major of 2023, the PGA Championship. Justin Thomas won the event back in 2022, with a dramatic play-off victory over Will Zalatoris. Jon Rahm goes into the tournament as favourite. Tiger Woods may not be playing following his recent operation, but all the other world's best players are in action.

The first round was delayed by almost two hours because of frost, but it didn’t stop Bryson DeChambeau getting off to a hot start when play got underway. The LIV Golf player fired a classy 66 to finish the day at -4.

Oak Hill, as expected, was playing tough, and for a long time it looked as though no one would get close to the former US Open champion. But as the shadows lengthened late in the day, DeChambeau was joined at the top by Dustin Johnson and Adam Scott, the latter of whom stumbled on his final hole to fall back to -2.

Then, after a run of birdies on the front nine (his back nine), Eric Cole passed them all to reach -5. And when the siren went for bad light, the American was only too happy to mark his ball and get some rest.  

A number of big names struggled on Thursday, world number one and pre tournament favorite Jon Rahm (76) being one of those. Matt Fitzpatrick and Jason Day posted the same score, while Jordan Spieth could do no better than a 73.

Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, battled back after a slow start to card a respectable 71 to finish the day six shots back. However, the Ulsterman, who admitted after his round that he was feeling a little under the weather, will be hoping to drive the ball a lot better on Friday if he’s to challenge this week.

Day 2 Review

Scottie Scheffler was pegged back late in the day of the 105th PGA Championship at Oak Hill, with Corey Conners and Viktor Hovland joining the world number two at the top to make it a three-way tie at the halfway stage.

The American showed his class on Friday, tracking Conners for much of the day, before taking the outright lead with birdies on 14 and 15. However, a rare bogey at the last saw Scheffler drop back alongside the Canadian.

And then Hovland made it three at the top with a birdie on the 18th which saw the Norwegian close with a 67 to get to the -5 mark.

For many of the pre tournament favorites, Friday became a battle of just making the weekend, with Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth and defending champion Justin Thomas all locked in their own personal battles with Oak Hill.

To their credit, all three showed their fighting qualities – Rahm with a 68, and the American duo with crucial putts on the final hole to make the cut on the number.

Elsewhere, Rory McIlroy’s struggles with the driver continued, although the four-time Major winner displayed plenty of fight to get himself right back into contention with a spirited round of 69, and his birdie on the brutal 18th will surely put a spring in his step going into the final two rounds.

The Ulsterman, who went into the season’s second Major Championship slightly under the weather, clearly cut a frustrated figure at times, and he was heard giving himself a stern talking to. He was not the only one, with world number one Rahm losing his cool on more than one occasion, although his anger seemed to be with the course.

One player who was finding the game all rather easy was LIV Golf star Brooks Koepka. The four-time Major winner lit up the back nine, coming home in 31 for a 66 that leaves the American just three shots back and bang in contention for another Major title.

Day 3 Review

Brooks Koepka will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, after firing a four-under 66 that will give the LIV Golf star a shot at winning a fifth Major title.

There weren’t many players who looked more in control than the American, on a day when anything around par would have been acceptable given the heavy rain that lashed down on the East Course for much of the afternoon.

Corey Conners was coasting for most of the day and without a dropped shot until the 16th, where he thinned a fairway bunker shot into the lip and racked up a double bogey to surrender the lead.

However, at just two shots back, the Canadian still has a good opportunity to land his first Major title, as does Viktor Hovland who also sits on -5 and will surely fancy his chances after a positive Masters showing last month. 

With the relentless rain pouring down, this was not a day when anyone was going to leap out of the chasing pack, which meant that there was no charge from the likes of Jon Rahm.

Instead, it was largely those players who were there or thereabouts who carried on from where they left off on Friday, the one exception being Scottie Scheffler.

The world number two was slow out of the blocks and struggled to find any sort of spark on the front nine, making four bogeys to turn in 39. However, he managed to stop the bleeding and give himself a chance of adding to his 2022 Masters title. He sits just four shots back. 

And Rory McIlroy has done his chances of winning that long-waited fifth Major no harm at all, courtesy of a one-under-par 69. The Ulsterman “free wheeled it” on Saturday and was wayward off the tee once again, but be combined some stellar iron play with plenty of grit to grind out very respectable score.  

The Ulsterman will require a low one, especially given the man who is leading, but it's certainly not beyond his capabilities.

We'll be back on Sunday to bring you live updates from the first shot until the winner lifts that famous Wanamaker Trophy.

PGA Championship Oak Hill Logo

Oak HIll Country Club Scorecard

Future PGA Championship Venues

• 2024 Valhalla Golf Club
• 2025 Quail Hollow Club
• 2026 Aronimink Golf Club
• 2027 Fields Ranch East PGA Frisco
• 2028 The Olympic Club
• 2029 Baltusrul Golf Club
• 2031 Congressional Country Club
• 2034 Fields Ranch East PGA Frisco

PGA Championship TV Coverage (USA)

Frequently Asked Questions

The second men's Major of 2023 is upon us as up state New York's Oak Hill Country Club hosts 99 of the world's top 100 players as they fight it out for the iconic Wanamaker Trophy.

Oak Hill hosts for the third time and first since Jason Dufner won his only Major to date in 2013. The club also hosted the 1995 Ryder Cup, won by Bernard Gallacher's Europe by 14.5-13.5, as well as three US Opens.

Justin Thomas defends the title he won last year, when he defeated Will Zalatoris in a three-hole playoff following Mito Pereira's agonising double bogey on the 72nd hole to lose out after taking a one stroke lead to the final hole.

The Major is wide open with plenty of players set to contend come Sunday evening, including the likes of past winners Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa as well as Scottie Scheffler, who is arguably the most in-form golfer in the world right now.

PGA Championship Key Info

5 Players To Watch This Week

Scottie Scheffler

• World Ranking: 2
• PGA Tour wins: 6
• PGA Championship starts: 3
• Best PGA Championship finish: T4 (2020)

View Scottie Scheffler What's in the bag?

The World No.2 enters the PGA Championship on an incredible run of form, which includes two victories (WM Phoenix Open and The Players Championship) and no finishes outside the top-12 in his last 13 starts! Scheffler was T5th at the AT&T Byron Nelson last week so is coming in with confidence as he seeks his second Major title after winning the 2022 Masters.

For the 2022/23 PGA Tour season, the Texan ranks 1st in Strokes Gained off the tee and tee to green, is 1st in greens in regulation and 2nd in Strokes Gained: total. Is there a golfer in better form on the planet? Possibly not.

He has come close to winning the Wanamaker Trophy before, when he played in the final group with Dustin Johnson in 2020 at TPC Harding Park. He ended up T4th that day and followed it up with a T8 in 2021 at Kiawah Island.

Rory McIlroy

• World Ranking: 3
• PGA Tour wins: 23
• PGA Championship starts: 14
• Best PGA Championship finish: 1st (2012 and 2014)

View Rory McIlroy What's in the bag?

The two-time PGA Champion comes into this week slightly under the radar, compared to The Masters anyway, after a missed cut at Augusta National and then a T47 at the Wells Fargo Championship in his only start since.

The Northern Irishman took last week off so comes into Oak Hill, where he is also a member as his wife Erica is from the city of Rochester, rested and fresh in a tournament that he loves. He was T3rd in his PGA Championship debut and then won the Wanamaker Trophy in 2012 at Kiawah Island and in 2014 at Valhalla. It's the only Major he has won multiple times and he'd love to add a third title this week.

McIlroy knows Oak Hill better than most and his long hitting (he ranks 1st on the PGA Tour with an average of over 328 yards) should benefit him as he looks to win Major number five.

Collin Morikawa

• World Ranking: 16
• PGA Tour wins: 5
• PGA Championship starts: 3
• Best PGA Championship finish: 1st (2020)

View Collin Morikawa What's in the bag?

Morikawa incredibly won the PGA Championship in his tournament debut and his career has gone from strength to strength since. The American is now a two-time Major champion with five PGA Tour titles to his name, and he's always a huge Major contender due to his laser-like iron play that is considered to be the best in the world.

He ranks 4th in Strokes Gained: Approach on the PGA Tour this year, which will be key to finding the correct portions of the greens this week, and he has an impressive driving accuracy of 69.90% on tour this season, meaning he'll be able to find the short stuff most of the time and avoid the brutal Oak Hill rough.

The 26-year-old started the year with a 2nd in Hawaii before a 3rd at Torrey Pines, with his other best result a T6th at Riviera in the Genesis Invitational. He could be saving his best stuff for the summer, so look out for him this week at Oak Hill.

Tommy Fleetwood

• World Ranking: 23
• DP World Tour wins: 6
• PGA Championship starts: 8
• Best PGA Championship finish: T5 (2022)

View Tommy Fleetwood What's in the bag?

No Englishman has won the PGA Championship since 1919 but Fleetwood is one of the best contenders to end that curse.

Fleetwood recorded his best ever finish in the Major last year, where he was T5th at Southern Hills. He has had a very solid start to the year on the PGA Tour with a T3 at the Valspar Championship and a T5 at the designated Wells Fargo Championship in his last start so he's entering Oak Hill in great form.

On the PGA Tour this season he ranks 5th in SG: Around the green and is in the top 10 for both SG: Total and tee to green. Those stats make for very good reading ahead of a Major championship.

Is this the week he puts it all together? There's every chance.

Rickie Fowler

• World Ranking: 49
• PGA Tour wins: 5
• PGA Championship starts: 13
• Best PGA Championship finish: T3 (2014)

View Rickie Fowler What's in the bag?

Rickie is back in the Major frame after re-finding his form and returning to the world's top 50. The popular American is quietly playing some excellent golf, having not missed a cut all year and finishing inside the top-17 in all of his last five starts.

He has a great record in the PGA Championship, with his best finish of T3 coming at the 2014 championship at Valhalla. He was also T5th in 2017 at Quail Hollow, T8th in 2021 at Kiawah Island and T23rd last year at Southern Hills.

A win this week would validate an incredible career and would push him back towards the top echelons of the game and the US Ryder Cup team for Rome 2023.

We'd love to see it.

For more on all of TaylorMade's Tour Staff and the company's products, visit the TaylorMade Golf website

Arguably the strongest field in the men’s game comes together for the second Major of the year, the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.

In total, 156 players will compete for the chance to lift the Wanamaker Trophy. The field comprises former champions, the world’s top 100, Major winners over the last five years and others. Unlike other Majors, the PGA Championship doesn’t include amateurs although there are lesser-known players in the form of club pros, with the 20 low scorers in the last PGA Professional Championship eligible.

Last year, Justin Thomas took advantage of a monumental slip by Mito Pereira to win his second PGA Championship title. The Chilean had seemed set for his maiden Major win until he double-bogeyed the 72nd hole to finish tied for third. That left Thomas and Will Zalatoris in the three-hole playoff, which the former won by a shot.

Thomas returns to defend his title, while Pereira also plays as one of 18 LIV Golf players in the field, but there’s no Zalatoris as he continues his recovery from back surgery, which also kept him out of The Masters at Augusta National.

One player who will be desperate to claim his first PGA Championship title is Jordan Spieth. The 29-year-old only needs this Major to complete one of the rarest feats in all, a career Grand Slam. Spieth withdrew from the tournament immediately before the event, the AT&T Byron Nelson, with a wrist injury, but he’ll be hoping it doesn’t hamper his efforts this week.

Rory McIlroy will surely see this year’s tournament as a golden opportunity to claim his fifth Major title. The World No.3 is a member of Oak Hill Country Club. After missing the cut at The Masters and returning with another unconvincing performance in the Wells Fargo Championship, he’ll be hoping a tournament on familiar territory will be exactly what he needs to claim his biggest victory since the 2014 Open at Royal Liverpool.

Phil Mickelson is one of three LIV Golf players who have won the PGA Championship, with the second of his two titles coming just two years ago. He didn’t defend his title last season amid ongoing controversy over his involvement with the new circuit, but returns in 2023 hoping to recapture the form that saw him become the oldest Major winner in history, aged 50, at Kiawah Island.

Another LIV Golf player with recent PGA Championship success is Brooks Koepka. He reminded plenty of his ability with his tie for second with Mickelson at The Masters last month, and will be hoping to take momentum into his quest for a third Wanamaker Trophy win.

One of the players most fancied to triumph will be Masters champion Jon Rahm. The World No.1 as being in the form of his life 2023 so far, and he could well be the man to stop.

Another player in excellent form is World No.2 Scottie Scheffler. He has two wins this year so far, including The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, and he will be keen to add a second Major title to his CV after his Masters win in 2022.

Elsewhere, Collin Morikawa hasn’t enjoyed a similar run of form recently, but his 2020 PGA Championship win was his first of two Major titles, and the American will surely see the event as the perfect opportunity to claim his first win since the 2021 DP World Tour Championship.

Below is the full field for the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.

PGA Championship Field 2023

• Alker, Steven
• Ancer, Abraham
• Arnaus, Adri
• Beach, Alex
• Bezuidenhout, Christiaan
• Block, Michael
• Bradley, Keegan
• Buckley, Hayden
• Burmester, Dean
• Burns, Sam
• Cahill, Matt
• Cantlay, Patrick
• Casey, Paul
• Clark, Wyndham
• Conners, Corey
• Cordes, Anthony
• Dahmen, Joel
• Daly, John
• Davis, Cam
• Day, Jason
• DeChambeau, Bryson
• Detry, Thomas
• Donald, Luke
• Droemer, Jesse
• Dufner, Jason
• Echavarria, Nico
• English, Harris
• Finau, Tony
• Fitzpatrick, Matthew
• Fleetwood, Tommy
• Fowler, Rickie
• Fox, Ryan
• French, Chris
• Gooch, Talor
• Griffin, Ben
• Grillo, Emiliano
• Grove, Russell
• Hadwin, Adam
• Hardy, Nick
• Harman, Brian
• Harrington, Pádraig
• Hatton, Tyrrell
• Henley, Russell
• Herbert, Lucas
• Higa, Kazuki
• Hoge, Tom
• Højgaard, Nicolai
• Højgaard, Rasmus
• Holmes, Steve
• Homa, Max
• Horschel, Billy
• Hoshino, Rikuya
• Hossler, Beau
• Hovland, Viktor
• Hubbard, Mark
• Hughes, Mackenzie
• Im, Sungjae
• Inglis, Colin
• Johnson, Dustin
• Johnson, Zach
• Kaewkanjana, Sadom
• Kaymer, Martin
• Kern, Ben
• Killeen, JJ
• Kim, Si Woo
• Kim, Sihwan
• Kim, Tom
• Kirk, Chris
• Kisner, Kevin
• Kitayama, Kurt
• Koch, Greg
• Koepka, Brooks
• Kuchar, Matt
• Lahiri, Anirban
• Larrazábal, Pablo
• Lawrence, Thriston
• Lee, K.H.
• Lee, Min Woo
• Love III, Davis
• Lowry, Shane
• MacIntyre, Robert
• Matsuyama, Hideki
• McCarthy, Denny
• McIlroy, Rory
• McNealy, Maverick
• Meronk, Adrian
• Micheel, Shaun
• Micheluzzi, David
• Mickelson, Phil
• Mitchell, Keith
• Molinari, Francesco
• Montgomery, Taylor
• Moore, Taylor
• Morikawa, Collin
• Mullinax, Trey
• NeSmith, Matthew
• Niemann, Joaquín
• Norén, Alex
• Olesen, Thorbjørn
• Otaegui, Adrián
• Paul, Yannik
• Pendrith, Taylor
• Pereira, Mito
• Perez, Victor
• Pieters, Thomas
• Pigman, Kenny
• Poston, J.T.
• Power, Séamus
• Putnam, Andrew
• Rahm, Jon
• Reavie, Chez
• Reed, Patrick
• Reynolds, Gabe
• Riley, Davis
• Rodgers, Patrick
• Rose, Justin
• Ryder, Sam
• Sanger, Chris
• Schauffele, Xander
• Scheffler, Scottie
• Schenk, Adam
• Scott, Adam
• Shattuck, Braden
• Shinkwin, Callum
• Simpson, Webb
• Singh, Vijay
• Smith, Cameron
• Smith, Jordan
• Somers, John
• Spaun, J.J.
• Speight, Josh
• Spieth, Jordan
• Stallings, Scott
• Steele, Brendan
• Straka, Sepp
• Strydom, Ockie
• Suh, Justin
• Svensson, Adam
• Taylor, Ben
• Taylor, Nick
• Theegala, Sahith
• Thomas, Justin
• Thompson, Davis
• Todd, Brendon
• Varner III, Harold
• Walker, Jimmy
• Wallace, Matt
• Wells, Jeremy
• Willett, Danny
• Wise, Aaron
• Woodland, Gary
• Worthington II, Wyatt
• Wu, Brandon
• Yang, Y.E.
• Young, Cameron
• AT&T Byron Nelson Winner

Who Qualifies For The 2023 PGA Championship?

• Each former PGA Champion
• The last five Masters winners
• The last five US Open winners
• The last five Open Championship winners
• The last three Players Championship winners
• The Senior PGA Champion
• The top three on the OWGR’s International Federation Ranking List as of April 24, 2023
• The low 15 scorers and ties in the last PGA Championship
• The 20 low scorers in the previous PGA Professional Championship
• The top 70 in money standings on the PGA Tour (from a week before the previous year's PGA Championship to two weeks before this year's PGA Championship)
• Players from the most recent US and European Ryder teams, as long as they're in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking as of 7 May
• Any tournament winner co-sponsored or sanctioned by the PGA Tour since the last PGA Championship
• The PGA of America can invite additional players not included in the categories listed above
• The total field is no more than 156 players. Players beneath 70th place in official money standings can also receive an invite

LIV Golf players will be allowed to compete in all four Majors this year after the PGA of America announced its criteria for entry into the 2023 PGA Championship.

Members of the Saudi-backed outfit who qualify for entry will now get the chance to challenge for the Wanamaker Trophy at Oak Hill in Rochester, New York, from May 18-21.

There had been talk of LIV Golf stars not being allowed in, but PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh says that they want the best possible field for the event. 

“Our decisions are always based on what’s in the best interest of the PGA of America and conducting the best championship possible,” said Waugh. 

“Sadly the current division in the professional game is not good for the sport or the future of the game. We hope there might be some resolution soon. 

“In the meantime, as always, our focus will be on our mission to grow the game and improve the lives of our members, who work so hard to impact millions of lives every day.”

With the news coming hot on the heels of the R&A announcing that LIV Golf players will not be prevented from competing in the Open Championship, it now means that players on Greg Norman’s circuit can compete in all four Majors this year.

Justin Thomas will defend the trophy he won at Southern Hills last year, with the 156-man field being set on May 10.

Phil Mickelson, the 2021 PGA Championship winner, will return to the tournament after failing to defend the title at Southern Hills in the wake of his controversial Saudi Arabia comments – taking a sabbatical before then joining LIV Golf just weeks later.

Other past PGA Championship winners, currently with LIV Golf, Brooks Koepka and Martin Kaymer will get invites to play at Oak Hill, along with reigning Open champion Cameron Smith as well as Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson courtesy of their Major wins in 2020.

Recent new signing for LIV Mito Periera and Brendan Steele will also make the field after finishing in the top 15 of last year’s PGA Championship – with Pereira holding the lead teeing off on the final hole only to collapse to finish outside of the playoff.

Two of LIV Golf's brand new signings have lost their expected exemptions into the 151st Open after the R&A removed the Presidents Cup exemption for this year's tournament.

R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers categorically ruled out banning LIV Golf players from future Opens at St Andrews last year but hinted that the criteria and qualification process for this year's Championship at Royal Liverpool may be changed.

"Looking ahead to The Open next year, we have been asked quite frequently about banning players," he said. "Let me be very clear. That's not on our agenda. But what is on our agenda is that we will review our exemptions and qualifications criteria for The Open."

Two exemptions have been removed from the qualifying criteria - with the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup teams exemption removed as well as the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup exemption, which isn't being played this year.

Both Mito Pereira and Sebastian Munoz will now have to find other ways to qualify for the year's final Major, while PGA Tour players Taylor Pendrith and Cameron Davis find themselves in the same boat.

Pereira and Munoz are both suspended from the PGA Tour so a route into the world's top 50 will be very difficult, with the top 50 by Week 21 all earning spots. Their best bets - along with other LIV players who aren't in The Open yet - will be to earn one of the four places available at the World City Championship in Hong Kong in March or the two spots available at the Korea Open in June. Both events are either fully or co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour.

A total of 34 places are available via various events on the PGA, DP World, Japan and Asian Tours.

Any golfer earning a qualifying place who then becomes exempt under one or more categories before the closing date of entries will result in that place being awarded to the next non-exempt golfer, which will determined by a reserve list for each event played before 1 June. That reserve list will be made up of the leading players who make the cut in the tour where spots are available and are not already exempt as of the closing date of entries for The Open on 1 June.

Final Qualifying for Royal Liverpool takes place on 4th July, where 16 places in total will be up for grabs at Burnham and Berrow, Dundonald Links, Royal Cinque Ports and West Lancashire.

A new exemption has been added for elite amateurs in which the player who accumulates the most points awarded by the World Amateur Golf Ranking in the St Andrews Links Trophy, The Amateur Championship and European Amateur Championship will earn a place in The Open.  

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said, “We have created an exciting schedule of events which takes in many regions around the world and provides the chance for golfers to earn a place in The Open at Royal Liverpool. We are grateful to our colleagues at the professional tours for their support and look forward to seeing who emerges from each event to book a sought-after place in the Championship this year.”

Colombia's Sebastian Munoz and Chile's Mito Pereira have been confirmed as new signings ahead of the LIV Golf League starting later this month.

Munoz and Pereira had both previously been reported as potential LIV Golf signings and the news has now been officially announced, with the duo joining Joaquin Niemann's Torque GC along with Spaniard David Puig.

It means that LIV is now home to the three best South American male golfers in the world, Niemann, Pereira and Munoz, as well as the two best Mexican male golfers in the world too, Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz.

Puig, who played on Sergio Garcia's Fireballs team last year, has reportedly only been guaranteed the first seven events of the 14-event league according to Madrid-based journalist Hugo Costa.

Munoz currently ranks 96th in the world and has one PGA Tour title to his name after winning the 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship. Pereira currently ranks 46th in the world and wasn't able to win in his rookie season on the PGA Tour last year, where he agonisingly missed out on victory at the PGA Championship with a double bogey on the 72nd hole.

Pereira features in the new Full Swing Netflix docuseries, where his PGA Championship close-call features prominently in Episode 7: Golf is Hard.

A total of four LIV Golf teams were confirmed on Wednesday, with a further four to be released on Thursday and four more on Friday. Shake-ups have been confirmed to both the champions 4 Aces and Brooks Koepka's Smash GC as well as Niemann's new-look Torque team.

Talor Gooch has been replaced by Peter Uihlein for Dustin Johnson's 4 Aces, leaving Brooks Koepka's Team Smash. Former World No.1 amateur Uihlein finished third in the individual race last year, behind Branden Grace in second and his new captain Dustin Johnson in first.

Matthew Wolff has left Phil Mickelson's Hy Flyers and joined Brooks and Chase Koepka as well as Jason Kokrak in the Smash quartet.

Majesticks GC, co-captained by Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood, has remained the same for 2023, with Sam Horsfield making up the fourth spot on the side.

The LIV Golf League gets underway in Mexico at the Mayakoba resort from February 24.

LIV Golf League teams announced so far...

Torque GC

• Joaquin Niemann (c)
• Sebastian Munoz
• Mito Pereira
• David Puig

4 Aces GC

• Dustin Johnson (c)
• Patrick Reed
• Pat Perez
• Peter Uihlein

Smash GC

• Brooks Koepka
• Chase Koepka
• Jason Kokrak
• Matthew Wolff

Majesticks GC

• Ian Poulter (co-captain)
• Henrik Stenson (co-captain)
• Lee Westwood (co-captain)
• Sam Horsfield

The penultimate episode of Full Swing on Netflix features PGA Tour rookies Sahith Theegala and Mito Pereira. This article will contain spoilers so stop reading now if you'd like to avoid them!

Theegala and Pereira earned their 2022 PGA Tour cards via the Korn Ferry Tour, one of the many tours run by the PGA Tour.

Being a rookie on the PGA Tour is tough, as the episode quickly explains, with the first-timers lacking experience and knowledge of the courses that are played year-in, year-out by the world's best.

Sahith Theegala puts it well: "College you're playing against a lot of like really good players still, but you get to the PGA Tour it's like 'Oh everybody in this field is like a first-team All American. It takes a little bit of time to get used to it."

However, despite their lack of experience and course knowledge, both Theegala and Pereira go on to have great, albeit winless, seasons and secure their cards for next year.

They also both go on to experience heartbreak late on in tournaments that they came oh-so-close to winning. We get to the drama, and heartache, of both near-misses in 'Golf is Hard'.

The episode starts out by introducing the pair at the Players Championship 'First Timers' media day, showing Pereira's three Korn Ferry Tour wins and describing him as a "rookie with pretty high expectations. One of the most promising young stars on the PGA Tour."

Mito Pereira has garnered a huge amount of attention, whereas Sahith Theegala doesn't have that pressure.

"I'm just happy to be here and the goal is to secure my job for next year," Theegala says.

"People don't know exactly what they're going to get when he makes his PGA Tour debut and no one expects a tonne," journalist Dylan Dethier says of Theegala.

"We're playing golf week-in, week out and we're losing a majority of the time," Collin Morikawa is heard in a montage of quotes. "If your win percentage is at 10% you're one of the best to ever play the game," Jordan Spieth says.

"Golf is hard," Rory McIlroy says, giving the episode its title.

"Winning in your rookie year, that takes things to a new level. Do these rookies have what it takes to compete against the best in the world? We're about to find out," Amanda Renner says.

Theegala's Phoenix Open heartbreak

Theegala is followed at the WM Phoenix Open where he is in with a shot of winning for the first time on the PGA Tour before an unlucky bounce sends his tee shot on the drivable 17th left and into the water. It costs him a bogey and he eventually finishes T3rd and just one shot shy of the playoff.

He's just won over $400,000 at the age of 24 but he is absolutely heartbroken. The cameras follow him crying in his parents' shoulders and being consoled after the tournament fell from his grips.

We're then properly introduced to Theegala, who has moved out of his childhood home in California for the first time as we join him doing laundry on his own at his new place in Dallas, Texas

We then hear from his father Murli who is an infectious character with a wonderful smile and attitude.

"I was a big fan of golf because I saw Tiger Woods," Murli says. "I got hooked onto watching a lot on TV. Sahith would sit with me and watch it and I don't know when he got interested but one fine day when he said 'You want to go and hit some balls?' That's when I found out 'Oh he really loved that game.

"First time when he won the Junior World then I knew, ''Oh this kid is special' so I knew that I need to do whatever it takes from my side to help him out."

PEREIRA AND NIEMANN

We then turn to Mito Pereira, the Chilean who won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2021 to earn an immediate promotion to the main tour. Pereira's relationship with Joaquin Niemann is shown and how the pair used to play together in the Chilean team with Joaco idolising the man four years his senior.

Pereira, for some reason, gave up the game and the roles have now reversed with him idolising Niemann, who won the Genesis Invitational at Riviera in spectacular fashion with Pereira and other Spanish speakers watching on and waiting to congratulate him on the 18th green.

Niemann and Pereira are part of a wider group of latinos and Spanish speakers on the PGA Tour - who are now mostly with LIV Golf - Abraham Ancer, Sergio Garcia, Sebastian Munoz and Carlos Ortiz. Ancer, Garcia, Niemann and Ortiz joining LIV isn't touched upon in Full Swing.

The episode takes you behind the scenes to some of their barbecues and gatherings, really showing the family vibes that the Spanish speakers had on the tour. It looks like a lot of fun.

Pereira's PGA Championship heartbreak

This is yet another chance to see a player's perspective of the PGA Championship week. We saw Justin Thomas win the event in Episode 1: Frenemies but Mito's experience is the one that most golf fans will have been looking forward to the most.

"Watching Mito, was I upset that I wasn't there? Yes but I didn't earn my way into the tournament so I have no gripe or anything about that," Theegala says while watching the PGA Championship at home in Texas with his friends. "It's just cool to see the other rookies playing well and, I know if I keep putting my head down and kind of going on the trajectory that I am, hopefully I'll be playing in Majors."

Pereira's heartbreaking double bogey on the 72nd hole was one of the most dramatic on-course moments in 2022, and it is a brutal watch as you get to see it from his team's perspective.

"I just know he's gonna win," his wife Antonia prematurely says to Pereira's caddie's wife - as they're both mic'd up walking around Southern Hills.

"I f***** it up on the last hole," he says to his caddie after THAT drive on the 18th, which found the creek and led to him needing a penalty drop.

Pereira took the defeat very well in front of the TV cameras and he also took it very well in front of the Netflix ones, too. No throwing clubs, swearing or hitting out in anger, he just cuts a disappointed figure along with Niemann who is there to offer up his support.

Golf is, indeed, hard.

Full Swing Season 1 Episode 7: Golf Is Hard

• Episode length: 46 minutes
• Synopsis: Rookies Sahith Theegala and Mito Pereira are both looking for their first win on The PGA Tour, but must learn the hard way that winning isn't easy.
• Main cast: Sahith Theegala, Mito Pereira, Antonia Prida, Joaquin Niemann
• Tournaments featured: WM Phoenix Open, PGA Championship

Sebastian Munoz seems to have confirmed his move to LIV Golf alongside Mito Pereira, with the pair reportedly joining the Torque team captained by Joaquin Neimann.

Munoz has been linked with making the switch for some time, with Greg Norman and his LIV Golf associates eyeing up a possible South American all-star team to help make the game more popular in those countries.

The 30-year-old Colombian is currently 93rd in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and has earned over $9 million from his 134 tournaments played on the PGA Tour.

With the new LIV Golf League starting at Mexico’s El Camaleon course later this month, the Saudi Arabia-backed outfit needed a few new players to shake-up its roster and gain even more attention.

Munoz reportedly told Colombia's El Tiempo that he was joining LIV Golf and was bringing Pereira with him, with the Chilean set to partner up with compatriot Neimann in the Torque team.

The move would make Torque the unofficial South American team of LIV Golf, which would be a popular side at the season-opening event in Mexico later this month.

Pereira could so very nearly have been a Major winner heading to LIV Golf, as he came so close to capturing the PGA Championship last year - losing out to Justin Thomas after a poor shot off the tee of his final hole.

Greg Norman and his LIV Golf operation have so far failed to make the big name signings they had perhaps hoped for their second season, but adding two new PGA Tour recruits would at least give them something to shout about.

Munoz, whose one win on the PGA Tour came at the 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship, along with Pereira would boost LIV Golf after a series of high-profile departures from within the organisation ahead of their crucial second season.

LIV Golf is yet to confirm any new additions for season 2, which gets underway in two weeks' time.

After turning professional in 2015, Mito Pereira has enjoyed multiple successes, with the majority of his victories coming on the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour Latinoamérica series.

Despite not securing a victory on the PGA Tour, the Chilean has produced a number of fine results, with arguably his most infamous moment coming at the 2022 US PGA Championship, where he missed out on a chance of a playoff spot after double bogeying the 72nd hole. Despite this, Pereira has still racked up some considerable prize money and, in this piece, we take you through his net worth.

We begin with prize money, in which Pereira has secured around $4.5 - $5 million on the PGA Tour. Despite finishing 180th in the FedEx Cup standings during 2020-21, the Chilean produced his best year to date the following season.

Thanks to three top 10 finishes, he picked up $2.8 million through 2021-22. His biggest paycheck? Well, that came at the US PGA Championship where he secured $870,000 for finishing third. Playing the 18th in the final round, the Chilean actually led the field but, after finding the water with his tee shot, he ended up missing out on a playoff spot by one stroke.

Prior to his superb season, Pereira had made $370,000 on the PGA Tour circuit, with his earnings for 2022-23 already sitting around the half a million mark. Because of his age, we expect this number to only increase over the following years.

Regarding sponsorship, we know that Pereira has been with Ping and Under Armour for a considerable amount of time, with the Chilean using a full bag of Ping clubs, as well as a Titleist Pro V1 golf ball and Ping staff bag. The Under Armour apparel is also worn by the likes of three-time Major winner, Jordan Spieth.

Along with Ping and Under Armour, we believe he is still sponsored by the Generational Group, although, at the 2022 CJ Cup, their logo was not displayed or visible on his polo shirt.

In 2021, it had been revealed that Pereira had announced a global endorsement agreement deal with the company. Speaking about the sponsorship, the Chilean stated: “I am excited to be associated with Generational, one of the leading M&A advisory firms in North America."

Commenting on the announcement, the group posted "the addition of Pereira as the newest member of the Generational Group team links the impressive rookie with the legendary Jack Nicklaus, who in March of 2021 formed a unique corporate alliance with Generational Group."

Who Is Mito Pereira’s Coach?

We believe Mito Pereira is currently coached by Eduardo Miquel who is the Coach-Director at the EM Academy. Miquel also coaches Joaquin Niemann, a fellow Chilean and close friend of Pereira. 

He has presented to the R&A on the development of golf academies and high performance players, both professional and amateurs. He also has a lot of respect in the game too as shown by the fact he is one of three coaches from South America recognized on the 2020 List of Best International Golf Coaches by Golf Digest.

From research it appears Miquel was quite the player himself after taking up the game at the age of 10. He turned professional in 2011 after having competed at a number of high levels in South American golf. Eventually he decided to become a golf coach because, he acknowledged in a World of Golf interview; "As a player I was always a perfectionist and I was very angry on the course. I had experience and technical knowledge and I always liked the idea of guiding the young players, helping them to be better." One moment this guidance was needed was during the 2022 PGA Championship where Pereira narrowly lost in dramatic fashion on the 18th hole.

Speaking after the disappointment Miquel said; 

"The whole team helps him, not just me. Mito, Eugenio Lizama (his psychologist) and I are still in contact. Also his physical trainer and his wife, we always support him, support him. I think it’s been a super positive week for everyone." 

"He said 'fuck the bad swing I made on the last hole'. I was a bit frustrated with the outcome of flag 18, but Mito has a strong attitude and personality. He stops quickly and tries to see the positive side of things. The truth is that I saw him calm."

For more content on the Chilean, have a read of our posts on Pereira's caddie, and Pereira's what's in the bag setup.

Mito Pereira is expected to join LIV Golf ahead of the 2023 LIV Golf League, according to The Telegraph.

The newspaper reports that LIV will release its full player roster next week, with the full schedule also set to be announced in the coming weeks. New team names and branding could be unveiled at the season-opener in Mexico next month.

Pereira burst onto the global golf scene last year at Southern Hills when he held the PGA Championship lead with just one hole to play. A wayward drive led to a closing double bogey, seeing him agonisingly miss out on a maiden Major title.

If he does indeed join LIV, the 27-year-old will almost certainly join the Torque GC team of fellow Chilean Joaquin Niemann.

Niemann recently said that he was "doing everything possible" to bring his countryman to LIV.

"I would love to bring him, I'm doing everything possible, but in the end it's his decision," Niemann told Chilean newspaper La Tercera.

“I imagine him playing the LIV. It would be ideal for him to be on the team, but that is not yet known. I hope it is. For me, at least, it would be ideal if he was on the team," he continued on Pereira."

Pereira currently ranks 44th in the world. He earned his 2022 PGA Tour card after three wins on the Korn Ferry Tour 20/21 season.

The 2023 LIV Golf League will comprise of 14 events, with prize money of $405m. So far, seven of the 14 tournaments have been announced. New venues include Valderrama in Spain, Sentosa in Singapore, El Camaleon in Mexico and The Greenbrier in West Virginia.

Joaquin Niemann has said he is doing "everything possible" to bring close friend and fellow Chilean Mito Pereira to LIV Golf.

The two-time PGA Tour winner is captain of LIV Golf's Torque GC team, and it seems like he is very keen in bringing his countryman onto the side ahead of the full 14-event LIV Golf League launch in February.

"I would love to bring him, I'm doing everything possible, but in the end it's his decision," Niemann told Chilean newspaper La Tercera.

“I imagine him playing the LIV. It would be ideal for him to be on the team, but that is not yet known. I hope it is. For me, at least, it would be ideal if he was on the team," he continued on Pereira.

Mito Pereira has been linked with a move to LIV Golf after bursting onto the scene in 2022. He led the PGA Championship after 71 holes and needed a par on the final hole to capture his first Major title before making a double bogey to agonisingly miss out on a playoff. 

He earned his PGA Tour card following three victories on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2021 to earn an automatic promotion.

LIV is set to sign another batch of players ahead of February's LIV Golf League debut at former PGA Tour venue El Camaleon in Mexico.

"Basically we're looking for maybe seven players, something like that," CEO Greg Norman said in November. He was then asked: "We're talking Top 10, Top 20 players?" Norman responded: "Yes. You said both. So I said yes."

Niemann also seemed optimistic on LIV's quest for world ranking points, echoing the words of a number of other LIV players that the start-up tour meets the OWGR's criteria. 

“We already have all the criteria to have a world ranking in the LIV," he said. "If they haven't done it, it's because of a pure monopoly there, political issues for which they don't take it out. But we already have all the criteria. We have the best players in the world on the tour and, if they don't, in the end they will look bad.”

Some of the greatest athletes in the world have foundations in their names to support people in certain challenges that are close to their hearts, and golfers are no different. 

Sergio Garcia is just one of the many players who uses his foundation to give back to communities and his latest event, Fore Kids ATX, did exactly that. The event helped raise funds for various children’s charities, such as Dell Children's Foundation and Foster Village Austin.

Garcia was joined by a host of LIV golfers at his latest event in Austin, Texas, as well as former NFL quarterback, Drew Brees. However, there was another guest that caught the eye in Garcia’s Instagram post and people are questioning whether it could be LIV Golf’s newest recruit. 

Have you spotted him? The player in question is, in fact, PGA Tour’s Mito Pereira. There have been rumours for a while now that the Chilean could be the next addition to LIV’s roster for their full launch in 2023. 

It is no secret that Pereira is very close to compatriot Joaquin Niemann, who made the switch to LIV earlier this year. Pereira is yet to win on the PGA Tour, but has been close multiple times since his first full season in 2020-2021. 

Since his first season, he has managed six top-10 finishes, one of which included his outstanding display in the 2022 PGA Championship, where he found himself three shots clear of Will Zalatoris heading into the final round. However, during the final day, he suffered an incredibly cruel collapse by shooting +5, to fall one behind eventual playoff winner, Justin Thomas.

If the Chilean does join the breakaway tour, there are a number of players who could also be making the leap with him, as rumours are still circling regarding PGA Tour stalwarts Patrick Cantalay and Xander Schauffele. However, the latter has denied any chance of him making the move. 

Mito Pereira can take some solace from his final hole meltdown in the PGA Championship after breaking into the world’s top 50 and qualifying for the next four Majors. The Chilean, who made a double bogey when he just needed to par the 18th to win his first Major at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has moved up to a career best 49 on the latest Official World Golf Ranking.

The top 60 players as of May 23rd all receive entry to the US Open, which starts on June 16th at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, while the top 50 on May 23rd qualify for The 150th Open Championship at St Andrews, which begins on July 14th. And while he didn’t quite get the finish at the PGA Championship he’d hoped for, tying for third with Cameron Young, one shot behind Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris, means Pereira will be invited to both next year’s Masters and PGA Championship.

Pereira was a big favourite to win his first PGA Championship - and with it entry to the next 20 Majors - as he teed it up at the 72nd hole on Sunday, but a disastrous drive found the water and he couldn’t pull it back to even make the playoff with Thomas and Zalatoris, making a six at the par-4 hole. Afterwards he admitted to being beset by nerves but after saying he wished he could play that final hole again, he maintained, “We’ll have another one”. His performance means he will at least have more chances to right that wrong. 

Having started last week as the World No.100, Pereira, who qualified for the PGA Tour by winning three Korn Ferry Tour events last season, did just enough to make it to the top 50 in the world at the crucial time, adding entries to both the US Open and 150h Open Championship to the Masters and PGA Championship invites that came with his top-four finish.

Pereira also earned a career-best $870,000 for coming tied-third at Southern Hills. Yet to win on the PGA Tour, his best performance prior to last week came in the Fortinet Championship last September, when he was third behind winner Max Homa and runner-up Maverick McNealy.

Golf, it is a cruel, cruel game and, at the PGA Championship, that proved to be the case, with Mito Pereira producing a double bogey at the very last hole to miss out on a playoff and an opportunity to secure the biggest title of his career.  

Standing on the 18th tee box, the Chilean had been one shot ahead of the American duo of Will Zalatoris and Justin Thomas. However, after finding the water with his drive, the 27-year-old failed to get up-and-down, as a double-bogey six meant he missed out on a playoff place and a chance to not only secure his first PGA Tour title, but also a Major opportunity as well.

Understandably, social media was sympathetic towards the Chilean, with many voicing sympathy for Pereira, who had just lost the biggest title of his career. Check out the responses below.

Mito Pereira says he's "sad" following his heartbreaking final hole double bogey to lose out on the PGA Championship.

The Chilean said he was "really nervous" in the final round, describing the nerves as "terrible" and also said he is usually very confident with a straight, low drive like the one he attempted on the 18th hole.

"Obviously sad to be here and not in the playoff, not make par, just straight win," he said immediately after his round. "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 on 18, but it is what it is. We'll have another one.

"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. I don't know, I mean, 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."

Pereira found himself on the 18th tee needing just a par to win his first Major but his attempt at a stinger drive sliced and found its way into the creek that dissects the fairway. After taking a drop, he then missed the green long and left with his iron shot and failed to get up-and-down for a bogey after his chip ran out long into the fringe. He missed out on the playoff between Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris by a single stroke.

The World No.100, a three-time Korn Ferry Tour winner, will make a significant climb up the world rankings and also takes home a cheque for $870,000 from the PGA Championship purse with his tied 3rd-place finish.

PGA Championship leader Mito Pereira benefitted from a controversial drop on Saturday at Southern Hills after he was allowed to drop his ball from the first cut of rough into the fairway.

The Chilean's drive went left on the ninth hole and ended up in an area where spectators were crossing the hole. It meant he was allowed a free drop within a club length, eventually dropping his ball in the fairway.

““I can’t believe this drop. Where that ball is, he’s got to keep the flag in line. He’s not going backwards. That, to me is quite amazing to be able to get it onto the fairway. That’s pretty warped stuff," Sky Sports' Wayne Riley said on commentary. Nick Dougherty described it as a "monumental drop" whilst fans on social media called it "scandalous", "lucky" and a "joke of a drop."

He eventually didn't actually benefit from, or take advantage of, the drop, as his ball grabbed and spun back off the green and led to a bogey. Perhaps his shot would have released more and stayed on the putting surface had he kept his original lie.

He was three strokes clear at the time and his bogey at nine was his second of three consecutive bogeys. The World No.100 recovered well with three birdies coming home to shoot 69 and reach nine-under-par for a three stroke lead. He'll be off in the final group on Sunday alongside Matt Fitzpatrick, with the Englishman and Will Zalatoris three back at six-under.

He seeks to become the first ever South American to win the PGA Championship on Sunday in what is just his second Major and the first one he has made the cut in.

Mito Pereira What's In The Bag?

A player who won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2021, Mito Pereira has gone from strength to strength of late and his first PGA Tour win is a question of when and not if. What clubs does he put in his bag? Let's take a look.

Mito Pereira What's In The Bag?

Mito Pereira WITB: Full Specs

Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees) with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 6 X shaft

3-wood: Ping G425 SFT (14.5 degrees at 15.5) with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X shaft

7-wood: Ping G425 Max (20.5 degrees) with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X shaft

Irons: Ping iBlade (4-9) all with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 (46, 52, 56 60 degrees) all with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

Putter: PLD Anser Milled Prototype

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Shoes: Under Armour HOVR Drive 2

Driver

Ping G430 Max

Pereira is a Ping staff player and uses a full bag of clubs from the brand. He starts with a Ping G430 Max driver which has 10.5 degrees of loft and is fitted with A Graphite Design Tour AD DI 6 X shaft. The G430 range is the latest range from Ping and the LST model features a new 'CarbonFly crown'. A carbon crown might not seem significant but it has a fundamental impact on the performance of the club. The lighter material lowers the centre of gravity which in turn will produce a lower launch with reduced spin and increased distance. As carbon is a lighter material, it pulls mass from the crown of the club and allows it to be positioned elsewhere - expected to be further back for added forgiveness.

• Read our full Ping G430 Max driver review

Fairways

Ping G425 LST, Ping G425 Max

He also uses a Ping G425 SFT three-wood and a G425 Max seven-wood with 15.5 and 20.5 degrees of loft respectively. The Max model that made our Editor's Choice list in 2022 because it is so easy to hit and is the most forgiving fairway wood in the G425 family. The G425 Max is made with a one-piece face, rather than the steel face insert used in the G410 models, and this has increased ball speeds across the face by up to 1.5mph - a significant amount in an evolutionary model from Ping. Ping did away with the Turbulators that dominated the crown on the G410 fairway wood and have replaced them with a simple, clean three dot system. This is great for lining up the ball consistently in the centre of the face. Both of his fairway woods are fitted with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X shafts.

Irons

Ping iBlade

Next up he uses a set of Ping iBlade irons and they go from four-iron down to nine-iron. They are also fitted with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts. These are actually the same model of iron used by his Chilean compatriot Joaquin Niemann. They came out in 2016 and we felt the iron excels in all the areas of performance competent golfers prioritize – distance control, workability and a soft feel with forgiveness thrown in for good measure.

• Read our full Ping iBlade irons review

Wedges

Ping Glide 4.0

He then uses four Ping Glide 4.0 wedges with 46, 52, 56 and 60 degrees of loft. We felt they were extremely easy to spin the ball with, and even when hitting shots that came off a little hotter and lower than expected, the ball sat to attention quicker than most new wedges.

They look exceptional as well - especially in the more traditional teardrop shape that is available in three of the four sole options. It also has the classic Ping Hydropearl 2.0 chrome finish, which reduces glare as well as flyers from the rough in damp conditions while also adding a touch of style to the aesthetics. 

• Read our full Ping Glide 4.0 Wedge Review

Putter

Ping PLD Dale Anser Milled Prototype

His final club in the bag is a Ping PLD Dale Answer prototype. it is a blade design which we obviously haven't tested, but we have used the new Ping PLD Anser line which are very similar. Milled from 303 Forged Stainless Steel and finished in a matte black color, everything is original about this Anser including the lack of any alignment lines.

• Read our full Ping PLD Anser putter review

Ball

Titleist Pro V1

Pereira uses a Titleist Pro V1 golf ball at the moment. With its biennial upgrade, the design got several significant changes made to it, such as the new reformulated 2.0 ZG Process Core which was implemented with more distance in mind. Additionally the cover was noticeable when we first got our hands on some. 

The dimple count increased from 352 to 388 following extensive trials and testing to maximize distance and flight consistency. The cover itself is also made from a new softer, urethane elastomer for more greenside spin and control. 

• Read our full Titleist Pro V1 ball review

Shoes

Under Armour HOVR Drive 2

Pereira also wears Under Armour shoes and apparel. His shoe model is the newer HOVR Drive 2 which we recently tested. The brand has applied the science of biomechanics in the design on its outsole to develop rotational, horizontal, vertical and internal traction. The most convincing of this traction comes from the new 3D moulded heel cup construction, which effectively creates a vacuum around the heel, locking it in for incredible levels of stability. They are also comfortable and look good too, which meant they went straight into our guide on the best golf shoes.

• Read our full Under Armour HOVR Drive 2 golf shoe review

As of the start of 2023, Mito Pereira is still looking for his first win on the PGA Tour, but he's been knocking on the door fairly regularly in recent times, and you suspect the man from Chile won't be winless for too much longer. 

Last year, Pereira led the PGA Championship at Southern Hills by three shots going into the final round, but Sunday didn't go to plan, and he ended up finishing in a tie for third, a shot back from winner, Justin Thomas. Still, at least he had his wife, Antonia Prida, to console him afterwards. 

Although it is unclear when the couple officially started going out together, we do know it was around or before 2014, with the golfer posting a picture of himself and Prida out on the golf course.

Prida has her own photography and illustrations Instagram page, and when she's not travelling with her husband to golf tournaments, she enjoys losing herself in art. Through this Instagram account, she shares lots of pictures, including a mix of stunning paintings, and she has a particular interest in nature. 

Her bio reads: "Mi propósito es contribuir en valoración de la naturaleza como digna fuente de admiración," loosely translates to: "My purpose is to contribute to the appreciation of nature as a worthy source of admiration."

Prida has been spotted at several of Mito's tournaments, with the duo posting snaps at Pebble Beach, Las Vegas and Texas, to name just a few. She was also at the 2022 Presidents Cup in North Carolina, cheering on her husband as they battled it out with America.

In early January 2021, the couple got engaged, with the wedding taking place a year later. At the ceremony, the couple were pictured walking under an arch of golf clubs created by the wedding guests.

Mito Pereira qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs in his rookie season on the PGA Tour, in 2022, a year in which he came close to winning the PGA Championship. Sadly for the man from Santiago, Chile, after holding a three-shot lead entering the final round, he carded a 75 to finish in a tie for third.

Despite that setback, Pereira, who also took part in the 2020 Olympic Games and 2022 Presidents Cup, looks set to be a real threat at the top of the game - and he has an experienced caddie on his bag, too. 

McGuinness, from Manly, Australia, has been caddying since 2005, and he can boast a long list of players of that he's previously worked with, including Conrad Shindler, Jason Gore, Matt Jones, John Mallinger, John Daly, Chez Reavie, Nick Flanagan, Steve Bowditch, Kyle Thompson, Cam Percy, John Huh and Billy Hurley.

At the 2020 Northern Trust, the looper, who was at the time caddying for Scottie Scheffler, fell awkwardly as he tried to get a better view of the 9th green. Following the injury, the duo stayed together for another year, with Scheffler securing top-20 finishes in all of the four Majors, as well as a Ryder Cup appearance. However, they stopped working together in late 2021.

Following the split, McGuinness, who rates Riviera as the best course to caddie on, landed a spot on Pereira's bag. He credits his time on the bag with Flanagan as his greatest success. The Australian pair claimed three wins on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2007 to earn an automatic "battlefield promotion" to the PGA Tour. 

McGuinness says that his greatest golf memory is watching Adam Scott win the Masters, to become the first Australian to do so. Should Pereira manage to get over the line in a Major, you imagine that might top it.

12 Things You Didn't Know About Mito Pereira

1. Mito is actually Pereira's nickname - his full name is Guillermo Pereira Hinke.

2. He was born 31st March 1995, in Santiago, Chile, where he still lives now.

3. Pereira started playing golf at an early age, with his earliest memory hitting balls with a plastic golf club.

4. Mito had a promising junior career, where he finished second at the 2006 Optimist International Junior Golf Championship (boys 10-11 division), before winning the same competition in the boys 12-13 division.

5. Pereira's first win on a professional circuit, though he was still only an amateur, came on the Chilean Professional Tour's Abierto Internacional de Las Brisas de Chicureo in 2013, when he was just 17-years-old. He also has three other professional wins in Chile, with two coming in 2015 and one in 2016.

6. Pereira attended Texas Tech University for one year in 2014-15, playing college golf before deciding to turn professional in late 2015. Prior to turning pro, he reached fifth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

7. He is a keen fisher and motocross enthusiast, with Bubba Stewart, a professional motocross racer, his favorite athlete outside of golf.

8. Mito joined the 2016 PGA Tour Latinoamerica, where he won the Roberto De Vicenzo Punta del Este Open Copa NEC. As well as the victory, he secured two runner-up finishes and four further top-ten finishes, this meant he secured third in the Order of Merit.

9. Pereira's first win on the Korn Ferry Tour came in February 2020 at the Country Club de Bogota Championship. He then managed back-to-back victories in June 2021 at the Rex Hospital Open and BMW Charity Pro-Am.

10. The Chilean's three wins on the Korn Ferry Tour meant he earned an instant promotion to the PGA Tour, becoming just the 12th player in 32 years to earn the automatic three-win promotion, and the first since 2016.

11. Mito Pereira's first Major appearance came at the US Open in 2019, where he missed the cut.

12. At the Tokyo Olympics, Pereira finished in a tie for 3rd place. However, he would miss out on a bronze medal as he lost in a huge seven-man playoff.