Full Swing (2023) s01e07 Episode Script
Golf is Hard
1
- [man in Spanish] Do I sit here?
- [man 2 in Spanish] Yes.
- Yeah?
- It says "Pereira".
[in English] Hello.
- Want a water or anything?
- [man 2] Sure. That'd be great.
- [man 3] Hi. This is for Japan.
- [man 2] Awesome.
- Thank you for your time.
- Yeah.
You are adjusting to the PGA TOUR.
How's the transition?
The first year it's tough to get in,
so I'm really happy to be here.
Is this a big difference
between college to a PGA TOUR?
[man 2] It's a big difference,
'cause college, you're playing
against a lot of really good players.
But then you get to the PGA TOUR.
It's like everybody feels
like a first team All-American.
It takes a bit of time to get used to it.
[pensive music playing]
[crowd cheering]
[announcer] Dominating performance today.
[announcer 2] Maybe a name
many might not be familiar with.
[man] Mito Pereira is
a 27-year-old Chilean rookie
with pretty high expectations.
He is one of the most promising
young stars on the PGA TOUR.
Good luck this week.
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's
to secure my job for next year.
[man] Sahith's had
a strong amateur career,
but people don't know exactly
what they're going to get
when he makes his PGA TOUR debut,
and no one expects a ton.
- [announcer 3] That's big.
- Hey. Are you all right?
[Theegala] Yes, I'm nervous.
Yes, there's some pressure.
I'd better, like, not suck.
[cheering]
It's very hard to win as a rookie.
- [announcer 4] Stay up.
- [crowd] Oh!
[man 2] We play golf week in, week out.
We're losing a majority of the time.
If your win percentage is at 10%,
you're one of the best ever to play.
Golf is hard, yeah.
[announcer 5] What a day
the rookie is having.
[cheering]
[woman] At 27 years old, Mito Pereira
is older than your typical rookie,
which means he has something to prove.
[Pereira] I'm so nervous
and so anxious to get it going.
Am I gonna win?
Am I the one who's gonna win?
[woman] Sahith Theegala was living
with his parents until a few months ago,
so to earn his PGA TOUR card
and go on this journey
is a massive win for him.
[Theegala] A lot of people are like,
"He's happy to be here."
"He's not really a competitor."
Couldn't be further from the truth.
[crowd chanting] Theegala!
[woman] Winning in your rookie year
takes things to the next level.
Do these rookies have what it takes
to compete against the best in the world?
We're about to find out.
[engine buzzing]
[relaxing music playing]
[man in Spanish]
Five, six, seven, eight thirteen.
Thirteen people? Or more?
[sighs]
[man] Anything else for you, Mr. Pereira?
[in Spanish] Nothing else.
- [man] May I take your plate?
- Sure.
[man] You're very kind, Mr. Pereira.
That's just for the cameras.
[Pereira laughs]
[woman laughs]
[in English] My name is Mito Pereira.
Uh, this is the first year on PGA TOUR,
so it's my rookie year.
[laughs]
[Pereira] Antonia is my wife.
She's a little short,
but really charming. Uh
[laughs]
- [in Spanish] What's up, Tullo?
- [Antonia] Hi!
[Pereira in English] I'm 27,
and I'm from Chile.
[in Spanish] How are you? Please come in.
Mito Pereira is coming in
from a different spot.
He's a little older.
He's a slightly late bloomer.
- [laughing]
- [speaking Spanish]
[man] Compared to other rookies,
are you on the older side?
I don't
Maybe, but, uh, I don't feel old.
[laughs]
[laughs]
[Dethier] Joaquin Niemann is 23.
He's been on the PGA TOUR for four years.
Hello?
- [all] Oh!
- [speaking Spanish]
[Dethier] Joaquin and Mito
are good friends.
You see on the PGA TOUR,
there are these cliques that form.
The Latin American guys stick together.
There's a few guys
that will share a house every week.
[Ortiz] We're really lucky
to have that group
that you can trust each other
and just be comfortable.
[in Spanish] I'd say they're like
the family we have in Chile.
This is our family
here in the United States.
So
it makes everything more fun.
Say "Mike Oxlong."
Mike Oxlong.
- Now say it fast.
- Mike Oxlong.
[laughs]
[Renner in English] It is not easy
to earn a spot on the PGA TOUR.
There's only 125 cards given
every single year.
One way to punch your ticket
is the Korn Ferry Tour.
It's almost like Triple-A in baseball.
It's the tour right under the big show.
The traditional route
to get your PGA TOUR card
is to be one a top player
on the Korn Ferry Tour.
But Mito took a rare
and very special route.
He won three times in one season.
And if you do that,
you get what they call
an automatic or battlefield promotion.
[announcer] Pack your bags, Mito Pereira.
You're going to the PGA TOUR.
[Renner] It's nearly impossible to do.
Only a dozen players have done it,
including Mito Pereira.
[Pereira] This has been
a lot of hard work.
It's paying off. I'm playing great.
That's why I think I'm here,
and I'm headed to the PGA TOUR.
[man] What is your goal for the year?
Play really good. [laughs]
Just that. I mean
You have to play really good.
You don't know anything.
It's first time on the big stage,
so you gotta step up
and really trust yourself
and try to do your best.
[in Spanish] They've got a joke for you.
Say "Mike Oxlong."
Mike Oxlong.
- Now say it quickly.
- Mike Oxlong.
[laughing]
- [man] Mike Oxlong.
- [boy] My cock's long.
- Ah!
- [laughing]
[Ortiz speaking Spanish]
[Theegala] Outside of golf,
this has been a big year for me,
because I moved out of my home
for the first time, my childhood home,
so I'm on my own.
And that comes
with a slew of other responsibilities
that I didn't really know
come with adulting.
I used to be very picky about my laundry
and stuff, but now I just
I have so many clothes I need to wash
all the time that I just throw it all in.
Hope for the best.
I am Sahith Theegala, 24 years old.
And I'm a professional golfer.
It is my first year on tour.
There's some nervous energy,
but in a good way.
- A lot of good nervous energy.
- [beeping]
I think right now,
whatever emotion you name,
that's what I'm feeling.
Once I get there, it's just golf.
And once it just gets to golf,
I think everything will be okay.
My name is Sahith Theegala.
I am seven years old.
I'm going to the third grade next month.
I love golf.
[Theegala] It's crazy
to think that my whole life,
I've had this goal of making the PGA TOUR,
and now the fact that I can say
I'm on the PGA TOUR,
I'm like, "I can't believe I can say that
without crapping my pants."
But, yeah. It's been cool.
I would like to become
a golf professional.
[Theegala] It was funny. I was,
like, really good at golf
right from the start.
I practiced a lot.
[man] Good shot.
[Theegala] As someone from
the Indian culture, it was kind of new.
My parents didn't know how to, at first,
deal with a kid who plays a lot of sports,
'cause nobody in my family really played.
Very interesting journey.
[man] Be in the hole. Be in the hole!
Be in the hole!
Be in the hole! Be in the hole!
Oh my God. Good shot. [laughs]
[man] I was a big fan of golf,
because I saw Tiger Woods.
Got hooked on to watching a lot on TV.
Sahith would sit with me and watch it.
I don't know when he got interested,
but one day when I said,
"Do you wanna hit some balls,"
that's when I found out he loved the game.
[laughs] Yeah.
First time he won the junior award,
I knew this kid is special
and that I need to do whatever it takes
from my side to help him out.
[Renner] Sahith took
a less traditional path to the PGA TOUR.
Sahith earned enough points to earn a spot
in the Korn Ferry Tour finals.
[announcer] Sahith Theegala.
He's headed to the PGA TOUR.
[Murli] When he made it,
I felt like, "It's all worth it."
In my heart I said,
"Okay. One dream come true." [laughs]
[Renner] So for a rookie like Sahith,
the goal is once you have your job,
it's to keep your job.
[Theegala] There's other guys
that have more hype around them.
Game-wise, I do feel like I'm ready.
I just hope I'm good enough
to keep my card on tour.
My laundry basket. Just a box.
[cheering and applause]
[announcer] This event,
unlike any other on the PGA TOUR.
The eighty-fourth playing
of the WM Phoenix Open
and a star-studded field.
Six of the world's top ten
are here this week.
[Theegala] There's thousands of people
watching your shots. It's wild.
[announcer] Sahith Theegala
for his birdie.
- What a day he's having and pours it in.
- [cheering]
He's at five under.
What an opening nine for Sahith.
Pressure's definitely elevated.
It feels like, "I'd better not suck
in front of all these people."
[announcer 2] What a round
he is putting together.
It's just a damn cool event.
Having my family around makes it easier,
'cause they realize how hard it all is.
[Theegala] Get it in! Get in the hole.
[announcer] Yes!
Another one for Sahith Theegala.
At seven under, leading the way.
Let's go. Let's go.
[Murli] He loved playing
in front of the crowd.
He knows how to play
and knows he was competing,
that he had a chance to win.
[applause]
[Dethier] There are no guarantees
for rookies on the PGA TOUR.
Every week matters,
every tournament matters.
Making the cut really matters.
[announcer] Another young player
working his way here, getting the feel.
[announcer 2] The Chilean, Mito Pereira.
[announcer] The guy who dominated
the Korn Ferry Tour. Won three times.
[announcer 2] Hasn't quite translated yet
to the big stage.
This is a different atmosphere.
[announcer] Birdie at 16.
Oh!
He's not gonna make the weekend.
[announcer 2] Pretty steady play.
I'm sure they're learning a lot
from what Sahith Theegala is doing
with his game thus far this week.
[announcer 3] It's remarkable to see
a rookie at the top of the pack
at such a big PGA TOUR event.
Unapologetically a fanatic. [laughs]
He was in my eighth grade
junior high PE class.
And super stoked excited
that he made it here. Amazing.
It's been a wonderful, rocky,
roller-coaster, exciting time.
And so excited to be here.
[cheering and applause]
[announcer] Sahith Theegala,
a rookie on the PGA TOUR.
[announcer 2] It still gives him a thrill
to hit balls next
to the best players in the world.
All of that is just so new for him,
and he's enjoying every second.
[crowd chanting] Theegala! Theegala!
[Theegala] I don't think
I've been more nervous.
My first time in any sort of spotlight
in pro golf.
And what a place to do it in.
[announcer 3] Two hundred-plus
thousand people here today.
Nowhere else in the world.
Let's go, buddy. Let's go. Let's go.
[Theegala] My heart was
jumping out of my chest.
[man] Get in the hole!
[announcer] Ah, that's good. Really good.
Yeah!
Go, buddy!
Awesome! Awesome!
[announcer 4] They started
the chant again, and he asked for more.
[announcer 2] Never seen a rookie pumping
up the crowd. He's loving the atmosphere.
[announcer 3] He's embraced it.
This could send the house down.
[crowd] Get in the hole!
Oh!
[announcer 4] Michael Beard, last night,
told Sahith to keep things simple
and enjoy the moment.
He's doing just that.
[announcer] Theegala heads
to the last two holes
tied for the lead.
[announcer 5] All he needs now is
to find the green.
If he can do that, he'll be in a position
to take this on.
Okay, easy. Easy.
Nice smooth swing.
- Where's it going?
- Right in the middle of the green.
[indistinct yelling from fans]
[announcer 6] Settle down. Settle down.
Stop. Stop.
[announcer 2] Oh wow.
Is it up? We don't know.
Please tell me.
Safe? Safe? Is that safe? Guys?
[announcer 4] She's put a mark
where the ball crossed the line.
A watery grave.
[announcer 3] All that adrenaline,
and he gets a hot bounce.
- [Murli] It go into the water?
- [man] It did.
[Murli gasps] Ah.
I can't I can't believe it.
That was a good shot.
[announcer 2]
With the water penalty shot, he's third.
And he needs to get this
up and down in two for a par.
Get up! Get up! Get up!
Come in. Come on! Come on in.
- Come on in! Come on in!
- [Murli] Sit! Sit! Sit!
Sit! Sit! Sit!
[announcer] Theegala's gonna have
a hard time making four.
Gonna have to hole the putt.
- This is huge.
- [announcer 2] It's a must-make.
This to save his par.
- He's got this. He can do it.
- He can do it. Come on in. Come on in.
- [woman] Get in it! Get in it!
- [Murli] Ooh.
[crowd] Oh!
[announcer 4] Simple as too much speed.
[announcer 2] Must be really deflated.
That was such an aggressive tee shot.
[announcer 4] Pounded his putter
a couple times. He's really frustrated.
[crowd chanting] Theegala!
Theegala! Theegala!
Theegala! Theegala!
[announcer] Anything's possible.
Theegala, to get to sixteenth.
[man] Get in the hole!
[announcer 4]
He's gonna go down swinging!
[announcer] Oh man!
That looked like that had a chance.
Sahith for par and a tie for third.
That's big when you're trying
to get your status out here.
[reporter] Proud of hanging in there
or disappointed with the finish?
Little bit of both, for sure.
Um
I thought I Sorry.
[Theegala] A lot of people,
you temper your own emotions,
and my dad's always been like, "Why?
Why would you temper your emotions?"
You should show when you're angry,
when you're sad.
That makes the happy moments
that much better, so
Yeah, just trying
to be more like my father.
I'm really proud of you.
Really proud of you.
Fantastic job. Fantastic job.
[speaking foreign language]
I know. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.
[sniffles]
It's okay. It's okay.
You'll get your day soon.
[Koruna speaking foreign language]
[Murli] Sometimes you become
a better player by failures.
So I felt that maybe that's great for him
that he didn't win.
Psychologically, I feel like,
because there's a hunger in him
that he can still play well.
But I told him,
"Hey, winning is not easy." Uh
"It makes you stronger.
It makes you stronger."
I'm really, really proud of what he's
accomplished, for sure. For sure, yeah.
[announcer 2] That's such a nice
in a way, to see,
because he's brand-new in this game,
and he cares that much.
He knew he had an opportunity.
He didn't really blow it.
He got pumped up.
He learned from being
The dreaded adrenaline got him.
But what a great experience.
[Theegala] It definitely ate me
that I didn't get the job done there,
but I took a lot of great stuff away
from that.
And secured my card,
so it took a lot of stress
off my back too.
[Renner] What Sahith did
was not only put his name on the map,
but he also made a huge dent
in securing his PGA TOUR card
in just one start.
A top-five finish goes a really long way,
so it was important
in a multitude of facets.
- [Pereira] What's up? How you doing?
- [man] Mito, what's up?
[Pereira] Phoenix Open,
I missed the cut by one.
Obviously it's frustrating
to miss the cut,
but really good players can handle that
better than others.
In my case, I'm a first-year rookie here,
so I haven't played all the courses.
I don't know them.
Practice-wise,
it's all about smart practice.
We have so much volume on the golf course,
so much volume practicing in here,
so we've gotta really make sure, as
I mean, you gotta play tournaments.
Some, you can't take off.
Yeah.
[man 2] The difficult thing for a rookie
is you have to learn new golf courses,
playing against people
with more experience,
on courses
they can remember in their sleep.
It's a real fast learning curve.
[Pereira] It's never gonna be easy,
but I wanna get better.
I think I have to step up my game
to really become a top player.
[Niemann]
Driving while using the phone, eh?
No. It's just
[laughing]
No? Okay.
I need to stop by the CVS.
I need deodorant.
[laughing]
- I'm not kidding.
- [Niemann] Yeah, you're a little smelly.
[man] How did you guys
become such good friends?
I mean, everybody
In Chile, the golf is small,
so everybody knows each other.
We had a nice group growing up.
We were, like, five, six guys
that would practice every day together.
Yeah.
[Pereira] We have been friends
for a long time.
We have the same coach too.
In Chile, when we were
I was 17, I think,
and he was, I don't know,
14 or something,
we probably practiced every day together.
Every time we're home,
we try to play something.
Not crazy, but
We always try to keep it competitive
and friendly at the same time.
We haven't got to the point
to play for a tournament.
In the course is one thing.
Off the course is another.
[Niemann] We knew we were gonna
somehow meet each other on tour.
He took too long, though. [laughs]
- [man] What a shot.
- [Niemann] Mito.
[man] Stop. Stop. Stop.
- Gracias, gracias.
- [man] Nice one.
[Niemann] Everybody, I think, in golf
in Chile, they all know Mito.
When I was younger,
I mean,
I was just always looking up to him.
So Mito, when he was from ten to 15,
he won everything in Chile,
everything in the States.
He was awesome.
And then he quit.
Mito stopped playing for a few years,
and it was actually Joaquin
that made it to the PGA TOUR first
and found success earlier.
It took Mito a few more years.
I don't know why, but my ball
always goes farther than Mito's.
[Renner] It's an interesting dynamic.
Joaquin grew up idolizing Mito.
And now all of a sudden,
Mito, as a 27-year-old rookie,
is looking at Joaquin
and wants what he has.
- Can you sign my shirt?
- [Pereira] Of course.
[Pereira] That power
that he has is really good.
Just a normal, mortal guy can do that.
[Pereira] All right.
You guys enjoy your day.
[Pereira] I put in a lot of work too.
I really wanna play at this level.
The goal is to get the top of the world.
- Some guy's calling me "Mitochondria."
- [Niemann] Mitochondria?
- Generates water.
- No.
- [both laugh]
- [in Spanish] They store water.
- [in English] No. Energy.
- Energy?
Mitochondria.
- ATP.
- [Niemann] I didn't go to school.
It's fine.
I think you're doing good in golf.
Mm-hmm.
I don't need to know about mitochondrias
when I'm making a putt.
- Putt.
- [Pereira] Perfecto.
[dramatic string music playing]
[announcer]
From Pacific Palisades, California,
one of the game's most storied venues.
Every single top ten player
in the world is here.
The Genesis Invitational.
[boy] Thank you.
[announcer] He was the story last week.
Sahith Theegala.
[announcer 2] More than the story.
He was the star.
[Theegala] When I was a kid,
I went to the Riviera a lot
for the Genesis.
Yeah, no problem.
That was the start
of the journey into golf.
I remember waiting for signatures.
And I got so excited
when I'd get signatures.
It was just like, "Man,
these guys are the coolest people ever,
and they're taking time to sign for me."
It's crazy I was that kid
not too long ago,
and now kids are asking for my autograph.
- [boy] I watched you at the Phoenix Open.
- [boy 2]Thank you.
Your last hole, I cried.
- I did.
- I appreciate it, man.
You are the GOAT. You're my hero.
Appreciate it.
[Pereira] So at the Phoenix Open,
Sahith, he was close to win.
I think I took it as an encouragement,
because us rookies
came on the same wave, you know?
So I'm just trying
to get my way into my game.
[announcer 3]
First on the tee, from Santiago, Chile,
please welcome Joaquin Niemann.
[cheering]
[pensive music playing]
[announcer]
And how's this? Joaquin Niemann,
the wiry, fiery 23-year-old from Chile,
opened Thursday with 63,
but then to back it up with 63 on Friday,
my goodness.
[cheering]
[announcer 4] The first eagle of the day.
[announcer] Joaquin Niemann.
This is just mind-boggling.
It's a brand-new 54-hole scoring record
here at the Riviera.
[announcer] Final day
of the Genesis Invitational.
West Coast Swing, and here we are.
[announcer 2] Sahith Theegala here on ten.
He's coming off
an unbelievable performance
last week in Phoenix,
but this week he's lost that spark.
He's been struggling.
- [announcer 3] We go to 18.
- [announcer ] Mito Pereira.
We saw him hole out at 11.
Here it is to close it out
with a birdie at the seventy-second!
Tied for fourteenth at the moment.
[announcer 2] After missing
the cut last week, I'm sure Mito's happy.
His Chilean counterpart, however,
has been on a roll all week.
[announcer] Walking with a two-shot lead,
Niemann at 19 under par.
[applause]
[indistinct yelling]
On Sunday, it was the first time
that I have that kind of pressure
where I was leading the four days.
I tried to hold my position
for as long as I could
until the last hole.
I knew that I had to be patient.
[indistinct chatter]
[indistinct yelling]
[announcer]
He's been walking with that lead
since he opened here on Thursday with 63.
- [in Spanish] Let's go!
- Come on, Joaquin!
[announcer in English]
Wire to wire!
[cheering]
[Pereira] It was good to see
because we play every day.
If he made it, it's not as impossible
as everybody thinks in Chile.
[indistinct chatter]
[man] Good job, Joaquin!
[inaudible]
[woman] Joaquin.
[Pereira] You've seen Tiger
since I was five years old
and just watch him receive the trophy
with him by his side,
it was just
I mean, I'm just really proud for him.
Who shoots 63, 63 out here?
For him to do it here on this golf course,
he proved it,
he deserved it, and he earned it.
So congratulations.
[cheering]
[cheering]
[Renner] I don't think
these guys have the ability
to turn off their competitive edge.
That's what makes them great.
Do I think they're genuinely happy
for each other
when the other one wins? I do.
But they also wanna beat the crap
out of one another.
These guys are here to win.
That's what they want to do.
But it is so hard to win on the PGA TOUR.
[Pereira] Watching Joaquin at Genesis
was just unreal.
I think for me, right now,
it's hard to see him winning and not me.
Winning on the PGA TOUR,
I mean, it's been
the dream of my life, basically.
But it's a really tough, uh
tough thing to do.
I've really got to focus on my game.
I know if if I play well, I can win.
- [in Spanish] Aim for the last flag.
- [in Spanish] Yes.
[Pereira in English] So it's more about
believing yourself that you can do it.
- [man in Spanish] When you want.
- [Pereira in English] Golf is so mental.
If you're in a bad position
outside of the course
[in Spanish] Another one?
[in English] it's gonna show inside,
so you gotta take care of that
almost the same
as the inside part of the course.
[Pereira] You know the Top Gun movie?
That's a real story, right?
- [man] Yeah. I just saw it.
- Yeah.
Do you want a piscola or no?
Yes? I'll do a piscola for you.
How many? Four?
- [man] All of them.
- Yes.
Can you drink piscola and film?
- Yes.
- [man] That's when I do my best work.
This is the beginner drink in Chile.
Everybody when you go back to Chile
do a barbecue
and drink a piscola with their friends.
Everybody in Chile start drinking about
when they are 18,
but actually if you are
from where Mito is,
probably when you're 13, right?
[laughs]
Mito is built different.
He's like a country boy, you know?
It's all about the piscola.
Built different.
[Pereira] The really good part
of having good friends,
it doesn't depend on how you're doing.
It's not only about just playing golf.
It's to support each other
in and out the course.
No!
- [woman] Oh!
- [laughs]
- [indistinct chatter]
- [laughs]
[in Spanish] Sorry. Sorry.
[in English] Always the same. [laughs]
[Antonia in Spanish] How's it looking?
- [Niemann] But it's not
- [Pereira] Yeah.
Delicious.
These ones are done.
Sí.
[man in English] So who does
the cooking on the road on tour?
She does, uh, most of the job.
[laughing]
[Antonia in Spanish]
My dream for Mito in golf
is to win a PGA tournament.
[in English] I think we are almost ready.
[in Spanish] It was to get on the Tour.
So when he wins a PGA tournament,
which won't be long,
it's going to be one after another.
[indistinct chatter]
[Pereira in English] It can be
a life changer if you win one tournament.
At the beginning, I wasn't counting on
playing the PGA Championship.
There's a goal to really try to enjoy it.
It's tough in a major sometimes,
for the first major.
[Antonia in Spanish] Very good!
To the eye!
- To the eye!
- To all!
[Antonia laughs]
[announcer in English]
Good morning from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
We are here at Southern Hills
for the PGA Championship.
[Dethier] Mito played well the first day.
Shot 68, two under par.
But then Friday
is when everything really changed.
[announcer] At two,
Pereira pours in a birdie.
Mito Pereira is one shot out of the lead.
[Dethier] He made seven birdies
on the day.
[Renner] For a rookie,
playing in a major championship
is a really, really big deal.
[announcer] Currently the best round
on the course this afternoon.
[Pereira] I'm playing really well.
[announcer 2] What a shot.
[Pereira] Just know that if I'm
in my week, I can beat everybody.
[announcer] Mito Pereira for birdie.
- [cheering and applause]
- He's got another.
[announcer 2] And a great run
to finish off his day.
[Dethier] Suddenly he was in second place.
[indistinct chatter]
[Dethier] He'd talked earlier in the week
about wanting to play it cool.
But I saw him Friday after his round.
He was like, "Wow. Things have changed."
What's it like seeing your name
pop up the leaderboard?
- Do you pay attention to it?
- Of course. I have to.
I'm in a major on top. I have to watch it.
[laughs]
No, but it was nice. Just watch it, but
You said earlier in the week
it felt like any other tournament so far.
How about now?
- I guess it's bigger.
- Now it's a little bigger.
- All right, Mito.
- Okay.
- See you tomorrow.
- See you tomorrow.
I just hope I can enjoy this week
and keep playing like I'm doing,
because I'll have a pretty good chance
to be there on Sunday.
[tense music playing]
[announcer] The story this morning,
heavy rainfall.
We're expecting scattered showers
throughout the day
and wind gusts up to 20 mph.
[Antonia] Always raining
when Mito plays well.
- Yeah, it's so weird.
- [woman] It's like a sign.
[Antonia] I don't know why.
[woman] Do you think he's nervous now?
[Antonia] I think he's fine,
but I think he was a little nervous.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
- [Antonia] He's so calm all the time.
- I know.
[announcer 2] Pereira trying to take
the lead on his own.
And does that!
[cheering]
[announcer 2] What a start.
- Par, birdie, to get to nine under.
- Go, Mito!
Whoo! [laughs]
Yeah! [laughs]
[Antonia] I really can't believe this.
[Cassie] I was just thinking.
It's so exciting.
[Antonia] I'm scared of this hole.
It's so difficult.
[announcer] Only four putts holed
from outside of ten feet
on this green today
for the first 78 players
to come through.
- This for birdie.
- [announcer 2] Release.
[announcer] It's a good one! Oh yes!
- [screams]
- [cheering]
[laughs]
Whoo!
[announcer] And he joins Fitzpatrick
as the only two players
under par all three rounds, Nick.
[announcer 2] Impressive.
Do that one more day,
you deserve to be the champion here.
- [Antonia] Well done, Scottie.
- [Cassie] That was amazing.
[Antonia] Oh, this is crazy.
[Cassie] What a shot.
[in Spanish] That was so good.
- Great round.
- [in Spanish] Thanks.
[indistinct chatter]
[man in English] Nice round!
- [Antonia in Spanish] Crazy day.
- [in English] Yeah?
[in Spanish] The amount of people there
was truly insane.
I couldn't see anything.
I was watching like this.
- [Pereira laughs]
- That's all I could see.
[in Spanish] The 18th hole is hard.
I blocked it, but it came out fine.
- Are you lost?
- [Pereira] No.
Why?
I didn't recognize this house.
[announcer in English] Seventy players
have already come through the 18th.
Five birdies.
[crowd yelling]
That hole is so hard.
[Theegala]
Watching Mito, was I upset I wasn't there?
Yes. But I didn't earn my way
into the tournament,
so I have no gripe about that.
It's cool to see the other rookies
playing well.
I know if I keep putting my head down
and going on the trajectory that I am,
hopefully I'll be playing in majors.
Everything you do, you earn it.
I haven't cracked a significant
world ranking or anything like that.
So I'm just here in Texas,
chilling on an off week.
Part of being a rookie
is just taking everything on the chin.
Everything's not gonna go our way
as a rookie.
I wouldn't say I'm trying
to prove things to other people,
but I definitely want to prove to myself
that I do belong out there,
and that all the work that me and my team
put in for me is paying off.
[announcer] Mito Pereira,
uncharted territory.
Looking for an enormous breakthrough.
[dramatic music playing]
Be a first win on the PGA TOUR.
Hell of a way to step onto the main stage.
Pereira's in trouble at the 16th.
In danger of losing a shot.
[announcer 2] First PGA Championship.
This to remain in the lead.
Incredible!
[cheering]
[Antonia in Spanish] That was scary.
[in English] Cassie, with that par,
I know we are going to win.
At that last flag and let it through.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
[man] Bring the hammer!
[man 2] That's so good!
[announcer 2] A nice place to leave it.
[announcer 3]
If it stays there on the upslope.
[announcer 2] Oh.
[announcer 3] Still, no damage done.
That's fine.
[announcer 2]
That's a scary shot, isn't it?
He mishits it.
Go. Go. Go. Oh!
[announcer 2] Just mishit it enough.
Now he's left himself 12 feet.
This is so important, this one.
[announcer 3]
This from just outside 12 feet.
To take a two-shot lead to the last.
[announcer 2] Oh! No.
[announcer 3] Oh man. How about that?
Just half an inch.
- [announcer] Thought it was in.
- [announcer 3] Me too.
[Cassie] Yesterday they ended well.
They can do the same today.
[Antonia in Spanish] I'm nervous.
[Cassie in English] Oh my gosh.
[announcer]
Pereira is gonna need to make four
to win this in regulation.
[Cassie sighs] Oh God!
[man 3]
Biggest shot of your life. Let's do it.
[caddie] Breeze is just left to right.
A low driver's perfect.
[light applause]
[fans whistling]
[announcer 2]
He's going with a lot of club again.
- [man 4] Baba Booey!
- [cheering]
[announcer 2] Oh my goodness.
He couldn't make a follow-through.
Where is it?
[announcer] Oh my goodness.
It's in the water.
[announcer 2] Oh my goodness.
That was not the club.
- That all happened so quick.
- [announcer] Really did.
Water.
[man 5] Quiet, please!
- I fucked up.
- [man 5] Quiet, please!
On the last hole, man.
[gasps]
- [Antonia] Water.
- Huh?
- [Antonia] I think it's
- No.
[announcer 3] That was not the club
when you're so amped up
with all this adrenaline.
He could hit anything down there.
Good grief. That will be
a one-shot penalty for Mito.
It's gonna be tough
to make par from that position.
And he needs that par
if he wants to win this now.
[caddie] You're hitting it
up into the air to your right.
This way?
Yeah. It'll help the shot.
[indistinct chatter]
[caddie] Upslope. Absolutely.
[announcer 4] Five-iron.
It's left and not cutting.
[crowd] Oh!
[announcer] Oh dear.
[crowd clamoring]
Got to get up and down
to make it a three-man playoff.
[pensive music playing]
So we've got three scenarios left.
We've got a three-man playoff.
We've got a two-man playoff.
Or we've got
one of the epic shots
in the history of the game.
[announcer 2] Here we go.
Pereira's gotta do something miraculous
to make a four.
Four to win, five to tie.
[in Spanish] It's not such a bad position.
Just a
[announcer 2 in English]
I would've walked up
and gone behind the flag
to see how it's gonna feed in.
He's gotta aim this
on the corner of the bunker.
[Cassie] Come on, Mito. Come on, Mito.
- Sit. Sit. Sit.
- [Antonia in Spanish] Stop.
- [Cassie in English] Sit.
- [in Spanish] Stop.
Stop!
No, no, no, no, no!
No!
[announcer 2 in English] That's it.
So he's gotta still
That's why you should've had a look.
[announcer] You saw it, Nick.
He never went over
and completely surveyed it.
[in Spanish]
I couldn't see anything. Is this for par?
- For bogey.
- It's for bogey, right.
[announcer in English] If he's gonna
putt it here, he has to make it.
- [announcer 4] I like the choice.
- [announcer] Yeah.
[announcer 2]
That bobbles and won't get there.
[announcer 4] Still got work to do.
[announcer 2]
If he'd just hit a three-wood,
a hooky three-wood at 18.
[dramatic music playing]
[announcer 4] There'll to be
some scar tissue there.
- [announcer] No kidding.
- [announcer 2] Unfortunately.
[announcer] For double.
[announcer 2]
But being completely scrambled
You play it all week, really,
to win, and now this is just
What is this? He doesn't know what to do.
Everything's [chuckles]
Can see him feel everything.
[ethereal music playing]
- [applause]
- [announcer] That curls in for the six.
And a tie-third finish with Cam Young.
It's almost inconsolable when you lose
with double-bogey on the 72nd hole.
[Pereira] I don't know there's much
you can say at that minute.
Just Just sad to be in that position.
[boy] Can I have your glove, please?
Please?
[Pereira] I had everything,
and then I just screwed up.
I mean, it just makes you feel sad.
I mean, I wish I could do it again.
[cheering and applause]
[announcer] Our 2022 PGA champion,
Justin Thomas.
[cheering]
[Pereira] After the PGA Championship,
I keep thinking about
how didn't I pull it off.
Like, I was playing so good,
and all of a sudden,
just one shot just collapsed everything.
- [in Spanish] Didn't go so well, man.
- Son.
You like messing around, man.
I made you wait for nothing.
What do you mean, for nothing?
[indistinct chatter]
[woman] What you did was incredible.
[indistinct chatter]
[in English] Gosh. Watching Mito
at the end of the PGA Championship
was was brutal.
I was really pulling for him.
He did everything right the last day,
but that's the thing about golf.
You feel you did everything right,
and something can go wrong.
Mito handled it so incredibly well.
For a rookie to be in a position
to win his first PGA TOURnament
at a major championship, pretty wild.
You're never truly happy in golf.
I hope to look back on some of this stuff
and be truly happy
about what I've accomplished.
I'm not worried about proving anything
to anyone else.
I just wanna prove more to myself
that I do belong
in the professional golf scope.
Now I'm like, "Okay, I'm out here."
"This is sick. Might as well keep going."
[Antonia in Spanish]
Seeing him on the PGA TOUR this year
has been impressive.
I'm really proud of him.
[in English] It's a really tough sport,
so you're never gonna dominate it.
[in Spanish] What were you, second?
- Third.
- Third, right.
[Pereira in English]
You learn more from failures,
so after doing that in a major,
it gives you the confirmation
that I really can be
in the top of the world.
[in Spanish] Bye, dude.
[Pereira in English] If I'm in that
position again, it's gonna be different.
I'm gonna do it, you know?
Last walk, man.
Are you getting sick of me yet?
- [Pereira] No.
- I was your good luck charm.
- Still may be.
- [Pereira] Let's do it every week.
[both chuckle]
[crowd chanting] Rory!
[announcer] Rory will need the magic here
to try to capture this elusive major
at the home of golf.
[boy] Go, Rory!
[dramatic music playing]
Disruption.
[announcer 2] McIlroy believes
the younger generation
would face a massive risk by joining
the lucrative Super Golf League.
[McIlroy] The top players in the world
are saying no.
That has to tell you something.
Crazy what the whole thing has got to.
[Renner] The thing about being outspoken
on the PGA TOUR
is you kind of have to back it up.
- Fuck you, Phil!
- [man laughs]
Oh, I hope that makes it in.
[Dethier] Rory hasn't won a major
in eight years.
And there's more pressure
than ever on Rory
to actually go out and win.
[upbeat music playing]
- [man in Spanish] Do I sit here?
- [man 2 in Spanish] Yes.
- Yeah?
- It says "Pereira".
[in English] Hello.
- Want a water or anything?
- [man 2] Sure. That'd be great.
- [man 3] Hi. This is for Japan.
- [man 2] Awesome.
- Thank you for your time.
- Yeah.
You are adjusting to the PGA TOUR.
How's the transition?
The first year it's tough to get in,
so I'm really happy to be here.
Is this a big difference
between college to a PGA TOUR?
[man 2] It's a big difference,
'cause college, you're playing
against a lot of really good players.
But then you get to the PGA TOUR.
It's like everybody feels
like a first team All-American.
It takes a bit of time to get used to it.
[pensive music playing]
[crowd cheering]
[announcer] Dominating performance today.
[announcer 2] Maybe a name
many might not be familiar with.
[man] Mito Pereira is
a 27-year-old Chilean rookie
with pretty high expectations.
He is one of the most promising
young stars on the PGA TOUR.
Good luck this week.
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's
to secure my job for next year.
[man] Sahith's had
a strong amateur career,
but people don't know exactly
what they're going to get
when he makes his PGA TOUR debut,
and no one expects a ton.
- [announcer 3] That's big.
- Hey. Are you all right?
[Theegala] Yes, I'm nervous.
Yes, there's some pressure.
I'd better, like, not suck.
[cheering]
It's very hard to win as a rookie.
- [announcer 4] Stay up.
- [crowd] Oh!
[man 2] We play golf week in, week out.
We're losing a majority of the time.
If your win percentage is at 10%,
you're one of the best ever to play.
Golf is hard, yeah.
[announcer 5] What a day
the rookie is having.
[cheering]
[woman] At 27 years old, Mito Pereira
is older than your typical rookie,
which means he has something to prove.
[Pereira] I'm so nervous
and so anxious to get it going.
Am I gonna win?
Am I the one who's gonna win?
[woman] Sahith Theegala was living
with his parents until a few months ago,
so to earn his PGA TOUR card
and go on this journey
is a massive win for him.
[Theegala] A lot of people are like,
"He's happy to be here."
"He's not really a competitor."
Couldn't be further from the truth.
[crowd chanting] Theegala!
[woman] Winning in your rookie year
takes things to the next level.
Do these rookies have what it takes
to compete against the best in the world?
We're about to find out.
[engine buzzing]
[relaxing music playing]
[man in Spanish]
Five, six, seven, eight thirteen.
Thirteen people? Or more?
[sighs]
[man] Anything else for you, Mr. Pereira?
[in Spanish] Nothing else.
- [man] May I take your plate?
- Sure.
[man] You're very kind, Mr. Pereira.
That's just for the cameras.
[Pereira laughs]
[woman laughs]
[in English] My name is Mito Pereira.
Uh, this is the first year on PGA TOUR,
so it's my rookie year.
[laughs]
[Pereira] Antonia is my wife.
She's a little short,
but really charming. Uh
[laughs]
- [in Spanish] What's up, Tullo?
- [Antonia] Hi!
[Pereira in English] I'm 27,
and I'm from Chile.
[in Spanish] How are you? Please come in.
Mito Pereira is coming in
from a different spot.
He's a little older.
He's a slightly late bloomer.
- [laughing]
- [speaking Spanish]
[man] Compared to other rookies,
are you on the older side?
I don't
Maybe, but, uh, I don't feel old.
[laughs]
[laughs]
[Dethier] Joaquin Niemann is 23.
He's been on the PGA TOUR for four years.
Hello?
- [all] Oh!
- [speaking Spanish]
[Dethier] Joaquin and Mito
are good friends.
You see on the PGA TOUR,
there are these cliques that form.
The Latin American guys stick together.
There's a few guys
that will share a house every week.
[Ortiz] We're really lucky
to have that group
that you can trust each other
and just be comfortable.
[in Spanish] I'd say they're like
the family we have in Chile.
This is our family
here in the United States.
So
it makes everything more fun.
Say "Mike Oxlong."
Mike Oxlong.
- Now say it fast.
- Mike Oxlong.
[laughs]
[Renner in English] It is not easy
to earn a spot on the PGA TOUR.
There's only 125 cards given
every single year.
One way to punch your ticket
is the Korn Ferry Tour.
It's almost like Triple-A in baseball.
It's the tour right under the big show.
The traditional route
to get your PGA TOUR card
is to be one a top player
on the Korn Ferry Tour.
But Mito took a rare
and very special route.
He won three times in one season.
And if you do that,
you get what they call
an automatic or battlefield promotion.
[announcer] Pack your bags, Mito Pereira.
You're going to the PGA TOUR.
[Renner] It's nearly impossible to do.
Only a dozen players have done it,
including Mito Pereira.
[Pereira] This has been
a lot of hard work.
It's paying off. I'm playing great.
That's why I think I'm here,
and I'm headed to the PGA TOUR.
[man] What is your goal for the year?
Play really good. [laughs]
Just that. I mean
You have to play really good.
You don't know anything.
It's first time on the big stage,
so you gotta step up
and really trust yourself
and try to do your best.
[in Spanish] They've got a joke for you.
Say "Mike Oxlong."
Mike Oxlong.
- Now say it quickly.
- Mike Oxlong.
[laughing]
- [man] Mike Oxlong.
- [boy] My cock's long.
- Ah!
- [laughing]
[Ortiz speaking Spanish]
[Theegala] Outside of golf,
this has been a big year for me,
because I moved out of my home
for the first time, my childhood home,
so I'm on my own.
And that comes
with a slew of other responsibilities
that I didn't really know
come with adulting.
I used to be very picky about my laundry
and stuff, but now I just
I have so many clothes I need to wash
all the time that I just throw it all in.
Hope for the best.
I am Sahith Theegala, 24 years old.
And I'm a professional golfer.
It is my first year on tour.
There's some nervous energy,
but in a good way.
- A lot of good nervous energy.
- [beeping]
I think right now,
whatever emotion you name,
that's what I'm feeling.
Once I get there, it's just golf.
And once it just gets to golf,
I think everything will be okay.
My name is Sahith Theegala.
I am seven years old.
I'm going to the third grade next month.
I love golf.
[Theegala] It's crazy
to think that my whole life,
I've had this goal of making the PGA TOUR,
and now the fact that I can say
I'm on the PGA TOUR,
I'm like, "I can't believe I can say that
without crapping my pants."
But, yeah. It's been cool.
I would like to become
a golf professional.
[Theegala] It was funny. I was,
like, really good at golf
right from the start.
I practiced a lot.
[man] Good shot.
[Theegala] As someone from
the Indian culture, it was kind of new.
My parents didn't know how to, at first,
deal with a kid who plays a lot of sports,
'cause nobody in my family really played.
Very interesting journey.
[man] Be in the hole. Be in the hole!
Be in the hole!
Be in the hole! Be in the hole!
Oh my God. Good shot. [laughs]
[man] I was a big fan of golf,
because I saw Tiger Woods.
Got hooked on to watching a lot on TV.
Sahith would sit with me and watch it.
I don't know when he got interested,
but one day when I said,
"Do you wanna hit some balls,"
that's when I found out he loved the game.
[laughs] Yeah.
First time he won the junior award,
I knew this kid is special
and that I need to do whatever it takes
from my side to help him out.
[Renner] Sahith took
a less traditional path to the PGA TOUR.
Sahith earned enough points to earn a spot
in the Korn Ferry Tour finals.
[announcer] Sahith Theegala.
He's headed to the PGA TOUR.
[Murli] When he made it,
I felt like, "It's all worth it."
In my heart I said,
"Okay. One dream come true." [laughs]
[Renner] So for a rookie like Sahith,
the goal is once you have your job,
it's to keep your job.
[Theegala] There's other guys
that have more hype around them.
Game-wise, I do feel like I'm ready.
I just hope I'm good enough
to keep my card on tour.
My laundry basket. Just a box.
[cheering and applause]
[announcer] This event,
unlike any other on the PGA TOUR.
The eighty-fourth playing
of the WM Phoenix Open
and a star-studded field.
Six of the world's top ten
are here this week.
[Theegala] There's thousands of people
watching your shots. It's wild.
[announcer] Sahith Theegala
for his birdie.
- What a day he's having and pours it in.
- [cheering]
He's at five under.
What an opening nine for Sahith.
Pressure's definitely elevated.
It feels like, "I'd better not suck
in front of all these people."
[announcer 2] What a round
he is putting together.
It's just a damn cool event.
Having my family around makes it easier,
'cause they realize how hard it all is.
[Theegala] Get it in! Get in the hole.
[announcer] Yes!
Another one for Sahith Theegala.
At seven under, leading the way.
Let's go. Let's go.
[Murli] He loved playing
in front of the crowd.
He knows how to play
and knows he was competing,
that he had a chance to win.
[applause]
[Dethier] There are no guarantees
for rookies on the PGA TOUR.
Every week matters,
every tournament matters.
Making the cut really matters.
[announcer] Another young player
working his way here, getting the feel.
[announcer 2] The Chilean, Mito Pereira.
[announcer] The guy who dominated
the Korn Ferry Tour. Won three times.
[announcer 2] Hasn't quite translated yet
to the big stage.
This is a different atmosphere.
[announcer] Birdie at 16.
Oh!
He's not gonna make the weekend.
[announcer 2] Pretty steady play.
I'm sure they're learning a lot
from what Sahith Theegala is doing
with his game thus far this week.
[announcer 3] It's remarkable to see
a rookie at the top of the pack
at such a big PGA TOUR event.
Unapologetically a fanatic. [laughs]
He was in my eighth grade
junior high PE class.
And super stoked excited
that he made it here. Amazing.
It's been a wonderful, rocky,
roller-coaster, exciting time.
And so excited to be here.
[cheering and applause]
[announcer] Sahith Theegala,
a rookie on the PGA TOUR.
[announcer 2] It still gives him a thrill
to hit balls next
to the best players in the world.
All of that is just so new for him,
and he's enjoying every second.
[crowd chanting] Theegala! Theegala!
[Theegala] I don't think
I've been more nervous.
My first time in any sort of spotlight
in pro golf.
And what a place to do it in.
[announcer 3] Two hundred-plus
thousand people here today.
Nowhere else in the world.
Let's go, buddy. Let's go. Let's go.
[Theegala] My heart was
jumping out of my chest.
[man] Get in the hole!
[announcer] Ah, that's good. Really good.
Yeah!
Go, buddy!
Awesome! Awesome!
[announcer 4] They started
the chant again, and he asked for more.
[announcer 2] Never seen a rookie pumping
up the crowd. He's loving the atmosphere.
[announcer 3] He's embraced it.
This could send the house down.
[crowd] Get in the hole!
Oh!
[announcer 4] Michael Beard, last night,
told Sahith to keep things simple
and enjoy the moment.
He's doing just that.
[announcer] Theegala heads
to the last two holes
tied for the lead.
[announcer 5] All he needs now is
to find the green.
If he can do that, he'll be in a position
to take this on.
Okay, easy. Easy.
Nice smooth swing.
- Where's it going?
- Right in the middle of the green.
[indistinct yelling from fans]
[announcer 6] Settle down. Settle down.
Stop. Stop.
[announcer 2] Oh wow.
Is it up? We don't know.
Please tell me.
Safe? Safe? Is that safe? Guys?
[announcer 4] She's put a mark
where the ball crossed the line.
A watery grave.
[announcer 3] All that adrenaline,
and he gets a hot bounce.
- [Murli] It go into the water?
- [man] It did.
[Murli gasps] Ah.
I can't I can't believe it.
That was a good shot.
[announcer 2]
With the water penalty shot, he's third.
And he needs to get this
up and down in two for a par.
Get up! Get up! Get up!
Come in. Come on! Come on in.
- Come on in! Come on in!
- [Murli] Sit! Sit! Sit!
Sit! Sit! Sit!
[announcer] Theegala's gonna have
a hard time making four.
Gonna have to hole the putt.
- This is huge.
- [announcer 2] It's a must-make.
This to save his par.
- He's got this. He can do it.
- He can do it. Come on in. Come on in.
- [woman] Get in it! Get in it!
- [Murli] Ooh.
[crowd] Oh!
[announcer 4] Simple as too much speed.
[announcer 2] Must be really deflated.
That was such an aggressive tee shot.
[announcer 4] Pounded his putter
a couple times. He's really frustrated.
[crowd chanting] Theegala!
Theegala! Theegala!
Theegala! Theegala!
[announcer] Anything's possible.
Theegala, to get to sixteenth.
[man] Get in the hole!
[announcer 4]
He's gonna go down swinging!
[announcer] Oh man!
That looked like that had a chance.
Sahith for par and a tie for third.
That's big when you're trying
to get your status out here.
[reporter] Proud of hanging in there
or disappointed with the finish?
Little bit of both, for sure.
Um
I thought I Sorry.
[Theegala] A lot of people,
you temper your own emotions,
and my dad's always been like, "Why?
Why would you temper your emotions?"
You should show when you're angry,
when you're sad.
That makes the happy moments
that much better, so
Yeah, just trying
to be more like my father.
I'm really proud of you.
Really proud of you.
Fantastic job. Fantastic job.
[speaking foreign language]
I know. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.
[sniffles]
It's okay. It's okay.
You'll get your day soon.
[Koruna speaking foreign language]
[Murli] Sometimes you become
a better player by failures.
So I felt that maybe that's great for him
that he didn't win.
Psychologically, I feel like,
because there's a hunger in him
that he can still play well.
But I told him,
"Hey, winning is not easy." Uh
"It makes you stronger.
It makes you stronger."
I'm really, really proud of what he's
accomplished, for sure. For sure, yeah.
[announcer 2] That's such a nice
in a way, to see,
because he's brand-new in this game,
and he cares that much.
He knew he had an opportunity.
He didn't really blow it.
He got pumped up.
He learned from being
The dreaded adrenaline got him.
But what a great experience.
[Theegala] It definitely ate me
that I didn't get the job done there,
but I took a lot of great stuff away
from that.
And secured my card,
so it took a lot of stress
off my back too.
[Renner] What Sahith did
was not only put his name on the map,
but he also made a huge dent
in securing his PGA TOUR card
in just one start.
A top-five finish goes a really long way,
so it was important
in a multitude of facets.
- [Pereira] What's up? How you doing?
- [man] Mito, what's up?
[Pereira] Phoenix Open,
I missed the cut by one.
Obviously it's frustrating
to miss the cut,
but really good players can handle that
better than others.
In my case, I'm a first-year rookie here,
so I haven't played all the courses.
I don't know them.
Practice-wise,
it's all about smart practice.
We have so much volume on the golf course,
so much volume practicing in here,
so we've gotta really make sure, as
I mean, you gotta play tournaments.
Some, you can't take off.
Yeah.
[man 2] The difficult thing for a rookie
is you have to learn new golf courses,
playing against people
with more experience,
on courses
they can remember in their sleep.
It's a real fast learning curve.
[Pereira] It's never gonna be easy,
but I wanna get better.
I think I have to step up my game
to really become a top player.
[Niemann]
Driving while using the phone, eh?
No. It's just
[laughing]
No? Okay.
I need to stop by the CVS.
I need deodorant.
[laughing]
- I'm not kidding.
- [Niemann] Yeah, you're a little smelly.
[man] How did you guys
become such good friends?
I mean, everybody
In Chile, the golf is small,
so everybody knows each other.
We had a nice group growing up.
We were, like, five, six guys
that would practice every day together.
Yeah.
[Pereira] We have been friends
for a long time.
We have the same coach too.
In Chile, when we were
I was 17, I think,
and he was, I don't know,
14 or something,
we probably practiced every day together.
Every time we're home,
we try to play something.
Not crazy, but
We always try to keep it competitive
and friendly at the same time.
We haven't got to the point
to play for a tournament.
In the course is one thing.
Off the course is another.
[Niemann] We knew we were gonna
somehow meet each other on tour.
He took too long, though. [laughs]
- [man] What a shot.
- [Niemann] Mito.
[man] Stop. Stop. Stop.
- Gracias, gracias.
- [man] Nice one.
[Niemann] Everybody, I think, in golf
in Chile, they all know Mito.
When I was younger,
I mean,
I was just always looking up to him.
So Mito, when he was from ten to 15,
he won everything in Chile,
everything in the States.
He was awesome.
And then he quit.
Mito stopped playing for a few years,
and it was actually Joaquin
that made it to the PGA TOUR first
and found success earlier.
It took Mito a few more years.
I don't know why, but my ball
always goes farther than Mito's.
[Renner] It's an interesting dynamic.
Joaquin grew up idolizing Mito.
And now all of a sudden,
Mito, as a 27-year-old rookie,
is looking at Joaquin
and wants what he has.
- Can you sign my shirt?
- [Pereira] Of course.
[Pereira] That power
that he has is really good.
Just a normal, mortal guy can do that.
[Pereira] All right.
You guys enjoy your day.
[Pereira] I put in a lot of work too.
I really wanna play at this level.
The goal is to get the top of the world.
- Some guy's calling me "Mitochondria."
- [Niemann] Mitochondria?
- Generates water.
- No.
- [both laugh]
- [in Spanish] They store water.
- [in English] No. Energy.
- Energy?
Mitochondria.
- ATP.
- [Niemann] I didn't go to school.
It's fine.
I think you're doing good in golf.
Mm-hmm.
I don't need to know about mitochondrias
when I'm making a putt.
- Putt.
- [Pereira] Perfecto.
[dramatic string music playing]
[announcer]
From Pacific Palisades, California,
one of the game's most storied venues.
Every single top ten player
in the world is here.
The Genesis Invitational.
[boy] Thank you.
[announcer] He was the story last week.
Sahith Theegala.
[announcer 2] More than the story.
He was the star.
[Theegala] When I was a kid,
I went to the Riviera a lot
for the Genesis.
Yeah, no problem.
That was the start
of the journey into golf.
I remember waiting for signatures.
And I got so excited
when I'd get signatures.
It was just like, "Man,
these guys are the coolest people ever,
and they're taking time to sign for me."
It's crazy I was that kid
not too long ago,
and now kids are asking for my autograph.
- [boy] I watched you at the Phoenix Open.
- [boy 2]Thank you.
Your last hole, I cried.
- I did.
- I appreciate it, man.
You are the GOAT. You're my hero.
Appreciate it.
[Pereira] So at the Phoenix Open,
Sahith, he was close to win.
I think I took it as an encouragement,
because us rookies
came on the same wave, you know?
So I'm just trying
to get my way into my game.
[announcer 3]
First on the tee, from Santiago, Chile,
please welcome Joaquin Niemann.
[cheering]
[pensive music playing]
[announcer]
And how's this? Joaquin Niemann,
the wiry, fiery 23-year-old from Chile,
opened Thursday with 63,
but then to back it up with 63 on Friday,
my goodness.
[cheering]
[announcer 4] The first eagle of the day.
[announcer] Joaquin Niemann.
This is just mind-boggling.
It's a brand-new 54-hole scoring record
here at the Riviera.
[announcer] Final day
of the Genesis Invitational.
West Coast Swing, and here we are.
[announcer 2] Sahith Theegala here on ten.
He's coming off
an unbelievable performance
last week in Phoenix,
but this week he's lost that spark.
He's been struggling.
- [announcer 3] We go to 18.
- [announcer ] Mito Pereira.
We saw him hole out at 11.
Here it is to close it out
with a birdie at the seventy-second!
Tied for fourteenth at the moment.
[announcer 2] After missing
the cut last week, I'm sure Mito's happy.
His Chilean counterpart, however,
has been on a roll all week.
[announcer] Walking with a two-shot lead,
Niemann at 19 under par.
[applause]
[indistinct yelling]
On Sunday, it was the first time
that I have that kind of pressure
where I was leading the four days.
I tried to hold my position
for as long as I could
until the last hole.
I knew that I had to be patient.
[indistinct chatter]
[indistinct yelling]
[announcer]
He's been walking with that lead
since he opened here on Thursday with 63.
- [in Spanish] Let's go!
- Come on, Joaquin!
[announcer in English]
Wire to wire!
[cheering]
[Pereira] It was good to see
because we play every day.
If he made it, it's not as impossible
as everybody thinks in Chile.
[indistinct chatter]
[man] Good job, Joaquin!
[inaudible]
[woman] Joaquin.
[Pereira] You've seen Tiger
since I was five years old
and just watch him receive the trophy
with him by his side,
it was just
I mean, I'm just really proud for him.
Who shoots 63, 63 out here?
For him to do it here on this golf course,
he proved it,
he deserved it, and he earned it.
So congratulations.
[cheering]
[cheering]
[Renner] I don't think
these guys have the ability
to turn off their competitive edge.
That's what makes them great.
Do I think they're genuinely happy
for each other
when the other one wins? I do.
But they also wanna beat the crap
out of one another.
These guys are here to win.
That's what they want to do.
But it is so hard to win on the PGA TOUR.
[Pereira] Watching Joaquin at Genesis
was just unreal.
I think for me, right now,
it's hard to see him winning and not me.
Winning on the PGA TOUR,
I mean, it's been
the dream of my life, basically.
But it's a really tough, uh
tough thing to do.
I've really got to focus on my game.
I know if if I play well, I can win.
- [in Spanish] Aim for the last flag.
- [in Spanish] Yes.
[Pereira in English] So it's more about
believing yourself that you can do it.
- [man in Spanish] When you want.
- [Pereira in English] Golf is so mental.
If you're in a bad position
outside of the course
[in Spanish] Another one?
[in English] it's gonna show inside,
so you gotta take care of that
almost the same
as the inside part of the course.
[Pereira] You know the Top Gun movie?
That's a real story, right?
- [man] Yeah. I just saw it.
- Yeah.
Do you want a piscola or no?
Yes? I'll do a piscola for you.
How many? Four?
- [man] All of them.
- Yes.
Can you drink piscola and film?
- Yes.
- [man] That's when I do my best work.
This is the beginner drink in Chile.
Everybody when you go back to Chile
do a barbecue
and drink a piscola with their friends.
Everybody in Chile start drinking about
when they are 18,
but actually if you are
from where Mito is,
probably when you're 13, right?
[laughs]
Mito is built different.
He's like a country boy, you know?
It's all about the piscola.
Built different.
[Pereira] The really good part
of having good friends,
it doesn't depend on how you're doing.
It's not only about just playing golf.
It's to support each other
in and out the course.
No!
- [woman] Oh!
- [laughs]
- [indistinct chatter]
- [laughs]
[in Spanish] Sorry. Sorry.
[in English] Always the same. [laughs]
[Antonia in Spanish] How's it looking?
- [Niemann] But it's not
- [Pereira] Yeah.
Delicious.
These ones are done.
Sí.
[man in English] So who does
the cooking on the road on tour?
She does, uh, most of the job.
[laughing]
[Antonia in Spanish]
My dream for Mito in golf
is to win a PGA tournament.
[in English] I think we are almost ready.
[in Spanish] It was to get on the Tour.
So when he wins a PGA tournament,
which won't be long,
it's going to be one after another.
[indistinct chatter]
[Pereira in English] It can be
a life changer if you win one tournament.
At the beginning, I wasn't counting on
playing the PGA Championship.
There's a goal to really try to enjoy it.
It's tough in a major sometimes,
for the first major.
[Antonia in Spanish] Very good!
To the eye!
- To the eye!
- To all!
[Antonia laughs]
[announcer in English]
Good morning from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
We are here at Southern Hills
for the PGA Championship.
[Dethier] Mito played well the first day.
Shot 68, two under par.
But then Friday
is when everything really changed.
[announcer] At two,
Pereira pours in a birdie.
Mito Pereira is one shot out of the lead.
[Dethier] He made seven birdies
on the day.
[Renner] For a rookie,
playing in a major championship
is a really, really big deal.
[announcer] Currently the best round
on the course this afternoon.
[Pereira] I'm playing really well.
[announcer 2] What a shot.
[Pereira] Just know that if I'm
in my week, I can beat everybody.
[announcer] Mito Pereira for birdie.
- [cheering and applause]
- He's got another.
[announcer 2] And a great run
to finish off his day.
[Dethier] Suddenly he was in second place.
[indistinct chatter]
[Dethier] He'd talked earlier in the week
about wanting to play it cool.
But I saw him Friday after his round.
He was like, "Wow. Things have changed."
What's it like seeing your name
pop up the leaderboard?
- Do you pay attention to it?
- Of course. I have to.
I'm in a major on top. I have to watch it.
[laughs]
No, but it was nice. Just watch it, but
You said earlier in the week
it felt like any other tournament so far.
How about now?
- I guess it's bigger.
- Now it's a little bigger.
- All right, Mito.
- Okay.
- See you tomorrow.
- See you tomorrow.
I just hope I can enjoy this week
and keep playing like I'm doing,
because I'll have a pretty good chance
to be there on Sunday.
[tense music playing]
[announcer] The story this morning,
heavy rainfall.
We're expecting scattered showers
throughout the day
and wind gusts up to 20 mph.
[Antonia] Always raining
when Mito plays well.
- Yeah, it's so weird.
- [woman] It's like a sign.
[Antonia] I don't know why.
[woman] Do you think he's nervous now?
[Antonia] I think he's fine,
but I think he was a little nervous.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
- [Antonia] He's so calm all the time.
- I know.
[announcer 2] Pereira trying to take
the lead on his own.
And does that!
[cheering]
[announcer 2] What a start.
- Par, birdie, to get to nine under.
- Go, Mito!
Whoo! [laughs]
Yeah! [laughs]
[Antonia] I really can't believe this.
[Cassie] I was just thinking.
It's so exciting.
[Antonia] I'm scared of this hole.
It's so difficult.
[announcer] Only four putts holed
from outside of ten feet
on this green today
for the first 78 players
to come through.
- This for birdie.
- [announcer 2] Release.
[announcer] It's a good one! Oh yes!
- [screams]
- [cheering]
[laughs]
Whoo!
[announcer] And he joins Fitzpatrick
as the only two players
under par all three rounds, Nick.
[announcer 2] Impressive.
Do that one more day,
you deserve to be the champion here.
- [Antonia] Well done, Scottie.
- [Cassie] That was amazing.
[Antonia] Oh, this is crazy.
[Cassie] What a shot.
[in Spanish] That was so good.
- Great round.
- [in Spanish] Thanks.
[indistinct chatter]
[man in English] Nice round!
- [Antonia in Spanish] Crazy day.
- [in English] Yeah?
[in Spanish] The amount of people there
was truly insane.
I couldn't see anything.
I was watching like this.
- [Pereira laughs]
- That's all I could see.
[in Spanish] The 18th hole is hard.
I blocked it, but it came out fine.
- Are you lost?
- [Pereira] No.
Why?
I didn't recognize this house.
[announcer in English] Seventy players
have already come through the 18th.
Five birdies.
[crowd yelling]
That hole is so hard.
[Theegala]
Watching Mito, was I upset I wasn't there?
Yes. But I didn't earn my way
into the tournament,
so I have no gripe about that.
It's cool to see the other rookies
playing well.
I know if I keep putting my head down
and going on the trajectory that I am,
hopefully I'll be playing in majors.
Everything you do, you earn it.
I haven't cracked a significant
world ranking or anything like that.
So I'm just here in Texas,
chilling on an off week.
Part of being a rookie
is just taking everything on the chin.
Everything's not gonna go our way
as a rookie.
I wouldn't say I'm trying
to prove things to other people,
but I definitely want to prove to myself
that I do belong out there,
and that all the work that me and my team
put in for me is paying off.
[announcer] Mito Pereira,
uncharted territory.
Looking for an enormous breakthrough.
[dramatic music playing]
Be a first win on the PGA TOUR.
Hell of a way to step onto the main stage.
Pereira's in trouble at the 16th.
In danger of losing a shot.
[announcer 2] First PGA Championship.
This to remain in the lead.
Incredible!
[cheering]
[Antonia in Spanish] That was scary.
[in English] Cassie, with that par,
I know we are going to win.
At that last flag and let it through.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
[man] Bring the hammer!
[man 2] That's so good!
[announcer 2] A nice place to leave it.
[announcer 3]
If it stays there on the upslope.
[announcer 2] Oh.
[announcer 3] Still, no damage done.
That's fine.
[announcer 2]
That's a scary shot, isn't it?
He mishits it.
Go. Go. Go. Oh!
[announcer 2] Just mishit it enough.
Now he's left himself 12 feet.
This is so important, this one.
[announcer 3]
This from just outside 12 feet.
To take a two-shot lead to the last.
[announcer 2] Oh! No.
[announcer 3] Oh man. How about that?
Just half an inch.
- [announcer] Thought it was in.
- [announcer 3] Me too.
[Cassie] Yesterday they ended well.
They can do the same today.
[Antonia in Spanish] I'm nervous.
[Cassie in English] Oh my gosh.
[announcer]
Pereira is gonna need to make four
to win this in regulation.
[Cassie sighs] Oh God!
[man 3]
Biggest shot of your life. Let's do it.
[caddie] Breeze is just left to right.
A low driver's perfect.
[light applause]
[fans whistling]
[announcer 2]
He's going with a lot of club again.
- [man 4] Baba Booey!
- [cheering]
[announcer 2] Oh my goodness.
He couldn't make a follow-through.
Where is it?
[announcer] Oh my goodness.
It's in the water.
[announcer 2] Oh my goodness.
That was not the club.
- That all happened so quick.
- [announcer] Really did.
Water.
[man 5] Quiet, please!
- I fucked up.
- [man 5] Quiet, please!
On the last hole, man.
[gasps]
- [Antonia] Water.
- Huh?
- [Antonia] I think it's
- No.
[announcer 3] That was not the club
when you're so amped up
with all this adrenaline.
He could hit anything down there.
Good grief. That will be
a one-shot penalty for Mito.
It's gonna be tough
to make par from that position.
And he needs that par
if he wants to win this now.
[caddie] You're hitting it
up into the air to your right.
This way?
Yeah. It'll help the shot.
[indistinct chatter]
[caddie] Upslope. Absolutely.
[announcer 4] Five-iron.
It's left and not cutting.
[crowd] Oh!
[announcer] Oh dear.
[crowd clamoring]
Got to get up and down
to make it a three-man playoff.
[pensive music playing]
So we've got three scenarios left.
We've got a three-man playoff.
We've got a two-man playoff.
Or we've got
one of the epic shots
in the history of the game.
[announcer 2] Here we go.
Pereira's gotta do something miraculous
to make a four.
Four to win, five to tie.
[in Spanish] It's not such a bad position.
Just a
[announcer 2 in English]
I would've walked up
and gone behind the flag
to see how it's gonna feed in.
He's gotta aim this
on the corner of the bunker.
[Cassie] Come on, Mito. Come on, Mito.
- Sit. Sit. Sit.
- [Antonia in Spanish] Stop.
- [Cassie in English] Sit.
- [in Spanish] Stop.
Stop!
No, no, no, no, no!
No!
[announcer 2 in English] That's it.
So he's gotta still
That's why you should've had a look.
[announcer] You saw it, Nick.
He never went over
and completely surveyed it.
[in Spanish]
I couldn't see anything. Is this for par?
- For bogey.
- It's for bogey, right.
[announcer in English] If he's gonna
putt it here, he has to make it.
- [announcer 4] I like the choice.
- [announcer] Yeah.
[announcer 2]
That bobbles and won't get there.
[announcer 4] Still got work to do.
[announcer 2]
If he'd just hit a three-wood,
a hooky three-wood at 18.
[dramatic music playing]
[announcer 4] There'll to be
some scar tissue there.
- [announcer] No kidding.
- [announcer 2] Unfortunately.
[announcer] For double.
[announcer 2]
But being completely scrambled
You play it all week, really,
to win, and now this is just
What is this? He doesn't know what to do.
Everything's [chuckles]
Can see him feel everything.
[ethereal music playing]
- [applause]
- [announcer] That curls in for the six.
And a tie-third finish with Cam Young.
It's almost inconsolable when you lose
with double-bogey on the 72nd hole.
[Pereira] I don't know there's much
you can say at that minute.
Just Just sad to be in that position.
[boy] Can I have your glove, please?
Please?
[Pereira] I had everything,
and then I just screwed up.
I mean, it just makes you feel sad.
I mean, I wish I could do it again.
[cheering and applause]
[announcer] Our 2022 PGA champion,
Justin Thomas.
[cheering]
[Pereira] After the PGA Championship,
I keep thinking about
how didn't I pull it off.
Like, I was playing so good,
and all of a sudden,
just one shot just collapsed everything.
- [in Spanish] Didn't go so well, man.
- Son.
You like messing around, man.
I made you wait for nothing.
What do you mean, for nothing?
[indistinct chatter]
[woman] What you did was incredible.
[indistinct chatter]
[in English] Gosh. Watching Mito
at the end of the PGA Championship
was was brutal.
I was really pulling for him.
He did everything right the last day,
but that's the thing about golf.
You feel you did everything right,
and something can go wrong.
Mito handled it so incredibly well.
For a rookie to be in a position
to win his first PGA TOURnament
at a major championship, pretty wild.
You're never truly happy in golf.
I hope to look back on some of this stuff
and be truly happy
about what I've accomplished.
I'm not worried about proving anything
to anyone else.
I just wanna prove more to myself
that I do belong
in the professional golf scope.
Now I'm like, "Okay, I'm out here."
"This is sick. Might as well keep going."
[Antonia in Spanish]
Seeing him on the PGA TOUR this year
has been impressive.
I'm really proud of him.
[in English] It's a really tough sport,
so you're never gonna dominate it.
[in Spanish] What were you, second?
- Third.
- Third, right.
[Pereira in English]
You learn more from failures,
so after doing that in a major,
it gives you the confirmation
that I really can be
in the top of the world.
[in Spanish] Bye, dude.
[Pereira in English] If I'm in that
position again, it's gonna be different.
I'm gonna do it, you know?
Last walk, man.
Are you getting sick of me yet?
- [Pereira] No.
- I was your good luck charm.
- Still may be.
- [Pereira] Let's do it every week.
[both chuckle]
[crowd chanting] Rory!
[announcer] Rory will need the magic here
to try to capture this elusive major
at the home of golf.
[boy] Go, Rory!
[dramatic music playing]
Disruption.
[announcer 2] McIlroy believes
the younger generation
would face a massive risk by joining
the lucrative Super Golf League.
[McIlroy] The top players in the world
are saying no.
That has to tell you something.
Crazy what the whole thing has got to.
[Renner] The thing about being outspoken
on the PGA TOUR
is you kind of have to back it up.
- Fuck you, Phil!
- [man laughs]
Oh, I hope that makes it in.
[Dethier] Rory hasn't won a major
in eight years.
And there's more pressure
than ever on Rory
to actually go out and win.
[upbeat music playing]