Raul Pereda gets emotional as his parents watch him play live in the Mexico Open
The Mexico Open at Vidanta is the debut event for Raul Pereda on the PGA Tour. Moreover, it is played in his homeland.
Whether it's because he's playing in his home country, or because of the crowd support, or because he's performing at the highest level for the first time, he's certainly off to a great start. At the end of the first round, Pereda was in T3, with a 6-under 65.
Unsurprisingly, there have been occasions of much emotional value for Raul Pereda. One of them was his parents seeing his performance live on the first day, on Thursday.
An emotional debut in his home country 🇲🇽
Raul Pereda’s parents were overcome with joy after their son’s opening round 65 ❤️
@RaulP96 | @MexicoOpenGolf https://t.co/GkxjkFvCDU
When approached by the press, Mr. and Mrs. Pereda were very pleased and excited, not only with their son's performance but also with their presence at the Mexico Open.
"What can I say? Ever since he was a baby, he started playing. His big dream was always to play here. And now he is here," said Mrs. Pereda, with tears in her eyes.
"We are very excited because we have seen from a very young age all his performances, his development, and here we are, enjoying this tournament as well," said Mr. Pereda.
Raul Pereda had the opportunity to view these statements from his parents minutes after they were made. They were shown to him by the journalists who approached him at the end of the first round. After watching them, he said:
"I am definitely super emotional, just like them. I prepared myself all week not to cry, and I'm holding it in. I know they are enjoying it as much as I am, maybe from another perspective, but here they are, with me through thick and thin," said Raul Pereda, and closed with a joke: "I'll have to stay without crying until next Sunday."
Raul Pereda at the Mexico Open
Pereda's performance in his PGA Tour debut at the Mexico Open could not have been better. On the opening day, he was just two strokes behind the leader, tied with one of the favorites, Tony Finau, ahead of world rankings number one and defending champion, Jon Rahm.
He was able to finish the first round without even making a bogey and made three birdies in a row practically at the start. It placed him early on in a good position on the leaderboard.
Although he has been a professional since 2018, Raul Pereda is only 26 years old. He has spent his career between the Korn Ferry Tour, the PGA Tour Latinoamerica, and the PGA Tour Canada. His best lifetime result is having finished runner-up at the Diners Club Peru Open presented by Volvo in 2022.
He also has a third place and nine Top 10 finishes, with 22 cuts made in 41 tournaments played. Internationally, his best results are having won the Banorte Tour Event 10 in 2018 and the Multimedios Cup in 2022. He is currently the 810th player in the world rankings.