A LIV Golf veteran is closing his chapter in golf. Mito Pereira will not be pursuing the sport professionally anymore. This came as a shocker since Pereira is still only 30 years old. However, his journey in life seems to be taking him away from the golf course now.

Pereira, once a top amateur golfer, decided to join LIV Golf in early 2023. He was part of Joaquin Niemann’s Torque GC.

After carefully contemplating his life for many years, he decided, “Today, my main desire is to step away from constant travel, return to Chile, and focus on my personal life. I carry with me unforgettable memories: the three Korn Ferry Tour titles that earned me a place on the PGA Tour; my time on the LIV Tour, where I discovered many destinations and truly enjoyed competing as part of an incredible team, Team Torque; and the honor of representing Chile at the Pan American Games and the Olympic Games.”

LIV Golf tweeted from its official handle, “Thanks for the memories, Mito. All the best in your next chapter.” This is not the first time the 30-year-old has stepped away from the game. Back in 2009, the Chilean decided to quit golf. He was 14 and one of the top prospects to enroll in the prestigious IMG Academy. He played soccer and tennis before coming back to golf.

Eventually, he joined Texas Tech in 2014 but turned pro only a year later. Pereira rose through the ranks in 2020-21, when he won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour and earned an instant promotion to the PGA Tour. He played 42 tournaments, netting six top-tens, but couldn’t lift silverware. Eventually, he signed with LIV Golf in 2023.

In his retirement post, the 30-year-old added, “I spent many years living away from home, in another country, countless weeks in hotels and airports. Now, the time has come to pause. Chile is my place in the world, and my family is my reason for being. Golf taught me resilience, how to navigate both good and difficult moments, and how to make discipline and goals a way of life. I believe I am well prepared for what lies ahead.”

It seems that the constant traveling across the world and staying away from his family has taken a toll on him. While playing the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour, at least he was much closer to home, where he could visit his family every week after tournaments. However, the LIV Golf schedule makes him travel the world. Understandably, that would mean he would have less time to spend with his loved ones back in Chile.

Interestingly, he’s not the first pro to announce his retirement close to the age of 30 in the last couple of months. Elizabeth Szokol confirmed that she was stepping away from the sport at the age of 31. She said, “Well, my body is getting old, ready to be done, is the main reason.” 29-year-old Jack McDonald decided to change his career path, as he revealed, “I’ve just started my PGA training as a trainee at Whitecraigs in Glasgow under David Orr. I’m not going to be playing tour golf anymore.”

Interestingly, Pereira was not the only one who exposed the hectic schedule of LIV Golf. One other pro expressed his concerns about it.

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Another pro might follow in Mito Pereira’s footsteps

Although he’s not as young as Mito Pereira, Kevin Na also revealed how he was tired of traveling the world while playing in LIV Golf. And it’s not just about the journey or the time difference that concerns him.

Na said, “There are moments watching you guys, and I’m like, ‘Phil Mickelson looks tired.’ Do you think that’s an underrated part of even your LIV tour? You go to Hong Kong, a lot of you’re playing in sometimes the steamiest of weather.”

Raised in Seoul, Na has never experienced summers that go beyond 86ºF. However, during his trips to Hong Kong, Dubai, and even Dallas, the temperatures go well above 90ºF in the summer. Traveling to such venues during scorching summers while adjusting to the time difference and playing three-day events is something Na never got used to.

And Kevin Na is still relatively young to be able to manage that. He talked about how Phil Mickelson looks tired. And it’s understandable that he would, considering how Lefty is halfway to 60 now. It might not be a surprise if more professional golfers decided to hang up their clubs early.