Raul Pereda: Playing on home soil in Mexico ‘means a lot’ | Golf Central | Golf Channel

Raul Pereda looks back on earning his PGA Tour card and discusses the significance of playing the Mexico Open at Vidanta in his home country. #GolfChannel #GolfCentral #RaulPereda
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Raul Pereda: Playing on home soil in Mexico ‘means a lot’ | Golf Central | Golf Channel
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Golf Central on YouTube is brought to you by the Paradigm AI smoke woods and irons from Callaway hey I’m matad Adams and welcome inside of our Golf Channel Studios it’s been a busy week in the game of golf with tours across the globe in action for the third year the PGA

Tour returns to viarta for the Mexico open at vant you can catch live first round coverage this Thursday from 400 p.m. Eastern Time right here on Golf Channel the only player representing Mexico that actually has a PGA Tour card this season that is him rul perid there you

Can see the 2018 First Team all Atlantic Sun Conference member from Jacksonville he won the gold medal at the 2017 University games as well and we are absolutely delighted that rul is joining us right now rul you earned your PGA Tour card for 2024 through a top five at Q School

And I might mention it was in very dramatic fashion when you chipped in twice for birdie at both 10 and 13 to finish with a 69 and grab that card what was that day like for you I mean it was uh it was a roller coaster of emotions uh definitely I was

A little anxious I was I was so excited to play especially when we had a day off you know Sunday with the weather we couldn’t go out and um you know having that rough t-shot on six and and rough t on seven and having double bogy and

Bogey back to back you know sort of have the the ship stumble around and uh you know that that chip in on 10 and chiping on 14 really brought me back to life and I just knew I was putting so good that I had so many chances to keep on going and

You know I took care of uh that those those situations especially and I was just trying to on 14 I remember I told my caddy like let’s try to keep this one close and it one in and we’re like okay let’s just try to keep hitting on the

Greens now I imagine the emotions had to keep rolling for you because you made your PGA Tour debut last year at the Mexico open what was that experience like and and what does it mean to come back to the event again this year definitely I’m so happy to be back

Here I I couldn’t think that or couldn’t imagine that next time I would put my foot on a Mexico open would be as a PJ to remember uh so definitely this place brings a lot of memories a lot of good stuff back from last year um you know I

Was here in the boat very good and the environment the people around it uh everything was amazing and really gave me good energy to to be able to play good to that point of the people around you in the environment what is it like

To get to Tee It Up In Your Home Country I’m curious how many family and friends do you have at the event this week I want to say that everyone is a friend of mine and I like getting around with people but definitely my parents a

Lot of people are going to be here supporting in me and it is just a special week for me always playing in home soil means a lot and especially playing in a PJ Tour event that is the open of my country and and playing in front of the Mexican crowd is it’s

Amazing there’s there’s not such a thing that I can describe it the best because everyone is so good here R what makes golf in Mexico unique say as compared to the courses that you play weekly in the United States I just think that you know Mexico

Mexico is growing a lot this game uh they’re developing a lot of courses uh the game is growing in general a lot of players are going out there and trying you have a lot of players in the in the in the America Tour quite a few players

In the corn fairy and and now me I’m in on the PJ tour and you know I think it’s just the heart and the passion that everyone puts in the game to be able to perform at the highest level and that’s what puts Mexico in a good position in

In every sport you know this of course for you is the third third start of your 2024 season I’m curious what your goals are for this year and why not what what are your goals for this event for sure I want to I want to put a

A good game a good show just as last year I think I’m hitting the ball very good i’ I’ve gone through some changes in the back but definitely for the good um I experienced a lot of um adapting um in my first two events and definitely

For this event I know that the course plays in my advantage uh it’s wide I can hit a lot of Fairways and and I’m rolling the ball very good just as last year so definitely thinking about last year uh you know puts me in a me good

Mental place and having my coach here it really helps me so why not to have a good week try to put myself in a top 10 try to play on cognizant next week cuz I’m out of the event so far um you know farther in the year definitely kid my

Card try to play for the Rookie of the Year that will mean a lot to me what was it like growing up in Mexico playing the game of golf for for example who did you look up to who was your inspiration it was hard I mean my

Parents never play golf growing up my my dad picked up golf when he was I I want to say 50 years old and and he got to be a good eight handicap um so I never really had anyone to look up um because they were playing golf but in the town

That I grew up such a small town nine hole course every kid out out there on the golf course you know we all got along and we all support each other and we were trying to compete between each other and you know that definitely kept me pushing hard to beat everyone else

And then I developed this passion for this game and fell in love with it and here I am today are you and I I suppose there’s no other way to put it are you a local hero now when you go back and do you hope that your life’s example can

Inspire other young people behind you for whatever their dreams are I I don’t know if I’m a local here but for sure I I I want to inspire other kids I want to show them that you know a little kid 59 140 lbs can do a lot of things out there

And you know just motivate them to work hard and and and just pursue their passion pursue their love for what they do whether it’s art whether it’s Sports whether if it’s you know literature anything they want to do they just Chase it and do whatever they they want to do

With love and they will uh succeed in life you spoke to the proud Sports Heritage in Mexico and how the people feel about it now golf is in the Olympics once again this summer the Olympic Games uh has that helped raise the sports profile in Mexico too and

What are your hopes about this summer in the Olympic games um definitely with with golf being so new to the Olympics just uh you know a couple Olympics Olympic Games back um I’m not sure how much it’s been the impact of the Olympic comedy in in golf

In Mexico but definitely that’s one of my goal I really want to push hard this season to try to get in the Olympics it’s something I really want to play for uh you know growing up watching all the gymnastics and everyone out there in the Olympic Games definitely I want to be

Part of one of those Olympic Games I remember playing the college Olympic Games in Taiwan in 2017 and definitely want to have that experience in the in the big boys League I am curious then you’re in your home country and you’re meeting people and you tell them that you’re a touring

Professional that you play golf for a living what’s the reaction you get how does the population relate to you in the game it is funny because when they ask me so what else do you do besides Golf and I said nothing I I just play golf and it’s like really they don’t they

Don’t really catch that golf can become sort of a your job uh it’s a 9 to5 job if you put as an hours of practice and and you put in you know working out and developing and stretching and practicing your mental game definitely turns down

Into many more hours than just 9 to5 but uh a lot of people surprised get surprised by saying that golf is my my dedication is my job but if you see it like if you can get compared with other athletes just like soccer players it’s the same thing you know so turn into

Turn that sport Turn Turn Golf into you know a in a better position in in the country where they can see that they can do it as their job and with a lot of love they’re never going to have to work when they