Report: Mito Pereira to join LIV Golf

Mito Pereira is set to join LIV Golf for its upcoming season, according to the Telegraph.

The report is hardly a surprise. Pereira has been widely speculated as a potential defector to the Saudi-backed circuit since late last summer, with numerous outlets citing the Chilean-born golfer's interests around the Tour Championship. Pereira addressed these rumors by posting a photo of himself in the International Presidents Cup team uniform on his Instagram account and stated how honored he was to play in the competition. Any member of LIV is not allowed to play in the PGA Tour-run match, indicating—at least for the immediate future—Pereira would remain with the tour.

However, following the cup—in which Pereira went 0-2-1—the whispers picked back up of Pereira’s jump to the breakaway league, and Pereira was seen publicly with a number of LIV Golf members in the fall.

Pereira, 27, is currently No. 44 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He earned a battlefield promotion to the PGA Tour with three wins during the Korn Ferry Tour’s extended season in 2020-21, becoming just the 12th player to earn the honor in the development circuit’s history. Pereira is most known for his 72nd hole collapse at the PGA Championship, where his one-shot lead vanished after a wayward drive found water. A closing double-bogey left Pereira a shot out of a playoff between Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris.

The signing bolsters LIV Golf’s Latin America contingent, joining the likes of Joaquin Niemann, Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz.

The LIV Golf season will begin Feb. 24 at Mayakoba, with both individual and team competitions similar to the inaugural season returning. The entire schedule and rosters have yet to be released.