PGA Championship final scoreboard here
Golf as we all know can be a cruel game at times, and for me the 72nd hole at Southern Hills at this years PGA Championship was exhibit "A"
Chilean rookie Mito Pereira was the class of a very good field after 54 holes, 68 64 69 -9 three shots clear, controlling his nerves which he said "made him nervous everyday"
Sunday as I mentioned yesterday saw Justin Thomas and Bubba Watson as the biggest name players in the chasing pairings at -2, seven shots back.
Bubba shot 75, was not a factor. Zalatoris and Thomas were.
While Mito struggled on his front nine with 3 bogey's and a birdie for 37, Thomas was out in E at 35, so the Chilean was still 5 ahead standing on the 10th tee.
Birdies at 11, 12 by Thomas were offset by a bogey at 12 and a bounce back birdie at 13 so Mito was still ahead by 3 shots coming to the 14th where he made another crucial bogey, followed by 3 pars coming to the 18th he was still 1 ahead of Thomas who had 3 pars and the big birdie at the 17th.
Thomas and Zalatoris both made par 4's at the 18th to stand in the scorers tent signing for 67 and 71 -5 respectively.
With his blood brother fellow Chilean Joaquin Niemann watching. Mito at -6 needed a par to win and a bogey to tie at -5.
The awkward swing he put on that fateful drive, looked to me like he lost it somewhere on the backswing then tried to save it coming down, call it pressure, only he knows, but it ended up in the creek.
After a penalty drop, now lying 3 he needed to get up and down for the tie from the fairway, His approach went long into the rough, the pitch didn't go in, the putt for 6, a double bogey, + 5 75 finally ended the spinning that must have been going on in his brain
He will need a while to get over it, He lost the championship, missed the playoff, ends up with a very creditable T3 -4 which will eventually be of some consolation.
Afterwards despite a brave smile for the interviews it admitted " I wish I could do it again, I guess I aimed too far right"
Meanwhile Thomas now gift wrapped the opportunity, being the champion he is drove the green on the second of the 3 playoff aggregate holes for the birdie that edged Zalatoris for his 2nd PGA Championship title.
Years ago Doug Sanders famously missed a 3 footer at the 72nd and lost the Open at St Andrews to Jack Nicklaus the next day in a playoff. He says despite being 2nd at majors 4 times, that one still haunts him to this day.
I hope that's not going to be the case for Mito Pereira, but I suspect it will..
Bryan Angus
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