Pereira was runner-up at the 2006 Optimist International Junior Golf Championship (boys 10-11 division), and won the 2008 Optimist International Junior Golf Championship (boys 12-13 division). He was runner-up at the 2010 Junior Open Championship at Lundin Golf Club in Fife, Scotland.[2]
In 2013, at the age of 17, he won the Chilean Professional Tour's Abierto Internacional de Las Brisas de Chicureo, shooting 70-70-70 to win by one stroke over professionals Nico Geyger and Cristián León.
Pereira turned professional in the second half of 2015 and joined the 2016 PGA Tour Latinoamérica, where he won the Roberto De Vicenzo Punta del Este Open Copa NEC and managed to reach the top-spot of the Order of Merit, to become the youngest player ever ranked No. 1. In addition to his victory, he had two runner-up finishes and four further top-10s in 18 starts and ended the season ranked No. 3 on the Order of Merit, earning promotion to the 2017 Web.com Tour where his best finish was T3 at the Nashville Golf Open.[2]
At the 2022 PGA Championship, he entered the final round with a three-shot lead over Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick, at 9-under-par. However, he struggled throughout the day, and reached the par-4 18th hole at Southern Hills at 6-under, with a one stroke lead over Zalatoris and Justin Thomas. Having missed his birdie putt at 17 by mere inches, he was aggressive off the tee, ultimately finding the right hand side creek, leading to a double bogey. He ended up tied for third place, as Thomas defeated Zalatoris in a playoff. Pereira was the third player over the previous 20 years to double-bogey the 72nd hole in a major and finish one shot out of a playoff; Phil Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie both did it at the 2006 U.S. Open.[6]
Pereira qualified for the International team at the 2022 Presidents Cup; he played three matches, tying one and losing two.[7]
In February 2023, it was announced that Pereira joined LIV Golf and will participate as a team member of Torque GC, alongside team captain and fellow Chilean Joaquín Niemann.[8]
Personal life
Pereira appears in the sports documentary series Full Swing, which premiered on Netflix on February 15, 2023.[9]
Amateur wins
2008 Optimist International Junior Golf Championship
2013 Golden Cup, Abierto Las Brisas de Santo Domingo, Abierto Las Araucarias, Los Leones Amateur, Campeonato de Chile Match Play, Abierto Las Brisas De Chicureo
2014 Abierto de Marbella, Abierto de Granadilla, Abierto Las Brisas de Santo Domingo, Abierto La Posada, Campeonato Internacional de Aficionados Copa Carlos Raffo, Los Leones Amateur, Campeonato de Aficionados de Chile - Match Play
