Nearly one year after his wife, Leah, died of cancer, golfer Corey Pereira celebrated an emotional win at the PGA Tour Americas’ Mexico Championship.
“If it weren’t for golf, I would just be sitting in my room all day pouting and crying,” Corey, 31, said after his victory on Sunday, June 7, revealing his passion for the sport has helped him cope amid his journey with grief. “Golf’s given me an excuse to get outside, something to work toward. That’s been really big for me. I do have some horrible days where I just don’t want to play golf, so that’s also made it difficult. Honestly, I’m happy that I won, but I wish she was here to celebrate. She was my best friend.”
After being diagnosed with soft-tissue cancer in October 2022, Leah went into remission four times over the next three years. The cancer, however, returned all four times. Leah died on June 22, 2025. She was 28 years old.
The win marked Corey’s first at a PGA Tour-sanctioned event in eight years. “Not much good has happened the last three years,” Corey acknowledged.
The golfer even credited his late wife for a bit of divine intervention to help him earn the title.
“I hooked my tee shot on 18, hit a tree and it came out in the fairway,” Corey said with a smile. “It’s just the little signs like that when you lose a loved one. You just start to wonder. Just thinking about her on that 18th green and wishing she was here to celebrate. Just extremely emotional.”
Two days before Leah’s death was officially announced by her family, Corey provided one final update via social media.
“Unfortunately her cancer has evolved past the point of reasonable treatment with multiple symptomatic reoccurrences around her lungs,” he wrote on Instagram. “Leah is currently spending her time at home with her immediate family focusing on comfort and peace in hospice.”
Corey revealed that Leah had gone through “32 cycles of chemotherapy, over 50 rounds of radiation, tried countless alternative strategies and looked at every relevant clinical trial on the planet.”
“As a husband and caregiver this journey has brought far too many emotions to sum up in one post,” he continued. “The reality of the ups and downs is simply impossible to understand. You are devastated that the person you love most is in pain. You are selfishly angry that you have to go through it with them. But I think most of all you feel constantly helpless. These emotions within our family have lasted 2 and a half years.”
Corey added, “Leah sends her love to each and every one of her family and friends. Lastly, I want to say that Leah was a healthy 25 year old ex-collegiate track athlete during her diagnosis. Cancer can affect anyone. If it feels wrong, get it checked out and never be afraid to advocate for yourself.”
