Mexican golf professional Carlos Ortiz has jumped 11 places to now rank at No. 264, previously at 275, in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). He recently participated in the V Copa Prissa and ended the campaign with 1.8 points, which helped him jump to a higher position in OWGR.
LIV golfer Ortiz beat Isidro Benitez to secure his first tournament victory on the American Circuit since his 2020 Houston Open win.
Carlos Ortiz went back to his homeland to retain his golf rankings
Since LIV Golf players are unable to benefit from playing in the league in terms of OWGR, they have opted to try their hand at their native golf tours and other opportunities across the globe.
The most recent to grab such an opportunity was Carlos Ortiz, who participated in V Copa Prissa. The tournament was recently given OWGR eligibility by the Gira De Golf Professional Mexicana (GGPM). Carlos Ortiz joined the list of fellow LIV golfers, Patrick Reed, Lee Westwood, and Graeme McDowell to seek outside opportunities to gain OWGR points.
Despite being founded in 2017, GGPM did not score any global ranking points until the beginning of 2018. Similar to LIV Golf, its events are played over 54 holes, however, there is a cut after the first two rounds.
Just like any other LIV Golf player, Carlos Ortiz has also suffered a constant snub from OWGR. Before joining the league, he was placed in the 119th position but continued to fall to No. 275.
However, competing for his homeland either did not have much for Ortiz to gain. Despite his win, he jumped only 11 places up in the rankings. Earlier, he participated in two Asian tours but failed to score many points. Ortiz cumulatively scored just 0.35 points after competing in the Series Oman, where he finished at No. 43.
GGPM might have given Carlos Ortiz the opportunity to score some OWGR points, but it will not be enough for him. On one side where the PGA Tour's invitational champion, Kurt Kitayama, has been rewarded 67 OWGR points, Ortiz received pennies on the dollar. Moreover, GGPM might not offer what the PGA Tour was offering Ortiz or any other player.
Who is Carlos Ortiz?
Born on April 24, 1991, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Carlos Ortiz is a professional golfer who currently plays in the LIV Golf league. Interestingly, his younger brother Alvaro Ortiz is also a professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.
He started playing professional golf during his college years. However, just two years later, in 2013, Ortiz turned professional playing on the web.com Tour. Then the following year, his first professional win came in the Panama Claro Championship. Ortiz followed his golden run by winning the El Bosque Mexico Championship and WinCo Foods Portland Open in the same year.
Carlos was associated with the PGA Tour for most of his career before making the switch to LIV Golf in 2022. He won his only PGA Tour win in the 2020 Vivint Houston Open. In total, he has had six professional wins throughout his career.