Pereira grabs PGA lead as Tiger pulls out
TULSA: Unheralded Mito Pereira became the first Chilean to lead a major, surging three shots clear at the top of the PGA Championship third round leaderboard on Saturday, while Tiger Woods withdrew after sinking to the bottom of table.
Playing in just his second major, Pereira refused to surrender to pressure carding a one-under-par 69 to get to nine-under 201 and a three-shot advantage on Britain’s Matt Fitzpatrick and American Will Zalatoris at Southern Hills Country Club.
Woods has played nearly 100 majors and won 15, but this PGA Championship in Oklahoma was just the second in his comeback from a car crash 15 months ago that nearly resulted in the amputation of his right leg.
The toll that effort was taken reached a head on Saturday as a hobbled Woods grimaced his way to a nine-over 79, his third worst score ever at a major.
The dejected 46-year-old trudged off the 18th green with the PGA of America confirming five hours later he had withdrawn.
“Tiger Woods has informed us that he is withdrawing from the 2022 PGA Championship,” PGA of America president Jim Richerson said in a statement.
“We admire Tiger’s valiant effort to compete here at Southern Hills and wish him the best as he continues to recover from his injuries.”
With Woods long gone, Pereira started his work one back but found himself alone at the top after two holes when overnight leader Zalatoris bogeyed the first and he picked up a birdie at the second.
The 27-year-old would extend his lead to four before a mid-round wobble that saw him absorb four bogeys over a five-hole stretch around the turn.
But with his lead chopped to one, Pereira responded with back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14 before closing out his round in style, rolling in 27-footer at the last.
“It’s by far the biggest tournament I played, the biggest round of golf and tomorrow is going to be even bigger,” said Pereira, who missed the cut in his only other major the 2019 US Open. I just try to keep it simple, try to do the same things that I’ve been doing, try to not even look at the people that’s around me.” REUTERS