Alvaro

Ortiz

The 26-year-old Ortiz met with media on Tuesday at Vidanta Vallarta Resort in Nuevo Vallarta, where the event will be played as part of the PGA Tour for the first time. “I feel like my game is trending the right way,” said Ortiz, who’s made just two cuts in seven KFT starts this season. “I feel like I’ve been playing pretty good golf in the last couple weeks, but it’s hard to say that when you’re not playing the weekend. I feel that I’m making the right strides and just super excited to be here. I think the course fits me very well, and I’m glad my brother (Tour winner Carlos Ortiz) is healthy so he doesn’t have any excuses when I beat him this week.” This week marks Ortiz’s first PGA Tour start this season and just his third dating back to the 2019-20 season. At last year’s Mexico Open, Ortiz captured his first professional win, shooting 63 in the final round to come from behind and beat Drew Nesbitt by three strokes. He finished last season fourth on the PGA Tour LatinoAmerica Order of Merit to gain KFT status for 2022.

The University of Arkansas product reached as high as 46th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings during his time at school. Since then, he’s spent most of his time on the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica circuit where he is 4-for-6 this season with a breakthrough win at the Mexico Open in March. The 25-year-old earned his spot in this week’s field through a qualifier at the Dallas Athletic Club. Right now he is most known for being the younger brother of Carlos, but he would love to carve out a name of his own. In six previous starts on the big stage, Ortiz is 2-for-6 with a T36 at the 2019 Masters and a T48 at the 2019-20 Mayakoba Golf Classic.

The World No. 1262 is making his first start of the season and his sixth overall, fifth as a pro. It’s his second made cut after a T36 as an amateur at the 2019 Masters in his TOUR debut, where he cracked the field as the 2019 Latin American Am champ. The Arkansas product, who turned 24 years of age yesterday (Nov. 15th), found eight (of 14) fairways and 13 greens in regulation, and went 4-or-5 in scrambles. He squared two bogeys at 10 (3-putt) and 14, outpaced by six birdies at 11, 13, 17, 2, 4 and 9, recording 1.692 putts per GIR with 28 total putts.

Ortiz is making his sixth career start in a PGA TOUR event and he arrived with a 1-for-5 record. That was a T36 at the 2019 Masters Tournament as an amateur. He’s off to a stellar start this week while playing in his home country. He piped 8-of-14 fairways and landed 14 greens in regulation today. He’s tied for 18th in the field GIR. As a result, his round was relatively stress-free and he walked away with six birdies and just one bogey. Today’s 66 is his new personal best on the PGA TOUR, previously a 3-under 68 at the 3M Open in July (missed cut). Ortiz reached as high as 46th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking but now he’s trying to make his presence known in the professional ranks.

The World No. 1127 and former Arkansas golfer is making his fifth career TOUR start, all this season, fourth on sponsor exemptions. He made his TOUR debut at the 2019 Masters as an amateur and finished T36 on 2-under 286 (73-71-73-69). The 2019 Latin American Amateur champ made his pro debut in his next start at the Wells Fargo and missed the cut by five (77-71). He also missed the cut at the Byron Nelson by one (69-72), and missed the cut by four at the Memorial five weeks ago (74-75). In between the Nelson and the Memorial, the 23-year-old also missed the cut at the 60 Abierto Mexicano de Golf on the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica.

Currently No. 119 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Ortiz had finished runner-up in each of his last two attempts at the LAAC. He lost to Toto Gana in 2017 and Joaquin Niemann last year (finished 51st in 2016). Ortiz is a product of the University of Arkansas and he’s also on the radar for being the younger brother of Carlos Ortiz. Even though Carlos currently has a TOUR card, it will be the younger brother who gets bragging rights in April, unless Carlos wins an event before then to qualify himself.