LOS ANGELES – When Corey Pereira’s 35-foot slider for par dropped on Los Angeles Country Club’s second green on Thursday afternoon, inciting a thunderous applause from the U.S. Open crowd, Pereira turned to his caddie, instructor Phil Dawson, and exclaimed, “This is literally the best moment of my life.”
“That’s exactly what I thought professional would be like as a kid,” said the 28-year-old Pereira, who grew up in Cameron Park, California, just outside of Sacramento.
The same can’t be said for the past eight months.
Pereira’s major-championship debut marks his first tournament since losing his Korn Ferry Tour card in August.