NORTH PLAINS, Ore. – Carlos Ortiz won the Portland Open on Sunday for his third Web.com Tour victory of the season, making him fully exempt on the 2014-15 PGA Tour.
The 23-year-old Mexican player closed with an even-par 71 for a one-stroke victory in the regular-season finale. He earned $144,000 to push his tour-leading total to $515,403, with the top 25 on the money list getting PGA Tour cards.
''I’m really excited for next year,’' said Ortiz, also the winner in Panama in March and Mexico in April.
Ortiz finished at 14-under 270 on Pumpkin Ridge’s Witch Hollow course. The former North Texas player opened with rounds of 66, 63 and 70 to take a two-stroke lead over Canada’s Adam Hadwin into the final day. In the final round, Ortiz birdied three of the first five holes, dropped three strokes in a five-hole stretch and closed with seven straight pars.
''Everything went my way this week,’' Ortiz said. ''I’ve been playing great the last few months. It was just a matter of trusting myself.’'
Hadwin and Jason Gore tied for second to each earn $70,400. Gore finished with a 66, and Hadwin had a 70. Hadwin jumped from 10th to fourth on the money list with $293,667, and Gore moved from 17th to ninth with $253,046.
Kyle Reifers took the 25th and final card, edging Denmark’s Sebastian Cappelen by $1,463. Reifers followed a third-round 64 with a 74 to tie for 21st at 7 under, and Cappelen missed the cut with rounds of 68 and 78.
The four-event Web.com Tour Finals, also offering 25 PGA Tour cards, starts next week in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The top 75 on the money list, and Nos. 126-200 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings qualified for the series.
The 25 player who earned cards Sunday will compete against each other for PGA Tour priority in the four events, with regular-season earnings counting in their totals. The rest of the players will start from scratch in the race for 25 more cards.
