After nearly quitting golf, world No. 810 Raul Pereda fires 65, is T-2 at Mexican Open

Raul Pereda made quite the first impression on his home turf. 

In his PGA Tour debut, the 26-year-old Mexican, who’s the world’s 810th-ranked player, fired a bogey-free, 6-under 65 at the Mexico Open, which has Pereda T-2, two shots off Austin Smotherman’s Day 1 lead. 

“I was a little nervous on the first tee when they announced my name and making my PGA Tour debut,” he said afterward. “Other than that, I just felt like I was playing with my buddies at home.”

Pereda, who is playing this week on a sponsor’s exemption, has made 41 PGA Tour-sanctioned starts, with 38 of them coming on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica. A professional since 2018, Pereda has nine top-10s and a runner-up on the Latinoamerica tour. 

Full-field scores from the Mexico Open at Vidanta

However, there was a point when he was questioning his future in golf.

Pereda played collegiately at Jacksonville University and was named to the Atlantic Sun All-Freshman team in 2015. But during his sophomore year, he suffered a back injury. Though it didn’t force him to shelve his clubs, the injury was tough on him mentally, as well as physically, and he considered giving up the game. 

“I really got to the point where I told myself I’m not coming back next semester,” Pereda told Golfweek in 2016. 

He stuck with it, though, and his career took off. He was a first-team All-Atlantic Sun Conference player as a senior in 2018, posting a stroke average of 70.54 — a school record.

That same year, Pereda made his first PGA Tour Latinoamerica cut as an amateur and then won on the Professional Golf Tour of Mexico shortly after turning pro. 

In December 2019, Pereda was hospitalized for several days with myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart. However, he’d recover and continue to chase his golf dreams. Now, roughly four years into his professional career, he dazzled in his Tour debut — thanks to a little advice from his college coach, Mike Blackburn. 

“I just think more than the score, I’m proud I was able to stay very present shot by shot,” Pereda said. “My old coach from school just told me, ‘Enjoy shot by shot,’ and sometimes it sounds easier said than getting it done. I was just able to stay in the present and give myself opportunities and roll it very good today.”

And the hometown hero (one of seven Mexicans in the field) feels no extra pressure to continue his glistening first impression. 

“I’m going to have a cold beer after this round today for sure with my parents and just keep it very simple,” Pereda said. “I don’t think I need to get ahead of myself. It’s just like any other sanctioned Tour event for me, it’s 18 holes a day and just 18 chances for (birdies).”