More than ‘qualified’

VIDANTA VALLARTA, Mexico – Competition lies at the heart of the Ortiz family dynamic. Whether it’s sports, board games, video games or anything else, Carlos and Alvaro Ortiz – or their brother Alejandro and parents Chela and Carlos Sr. – want the edge. The Carlos-Alvaro rivalry entails a particular zest. “I’ve had many Nintendo controllers thrown at my head by him,” Carlos remarked of Alvaro. “Nintendo, FIFA, even the Tiger Woods game, the Formula 1 game right now … he used to break a controller per week, like, explode.” “What can I say,” Alvaro admitted. “I’m fiery.” The determination of Carlos and Alvaro has also propelled their golf careers. This week, they’re set to compete in the same PGA TOUR field at the Mexico Open at Vidanta, the event’s first playing as an official PGA TOUR event in its history dating back to 1944. No number of broken controllers, though, could fracture the brothers’ bond. Alvaro, five years Carlos’ junior, holds Korn Ferry Tour status for the first time this season by virtue of a fourth-place finish on the 2021 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Order of Merit, which included a victory at the Mexico Open, contested at Estella del Mar. He’s following the example of Carlos, now an accomplished TOUR pro and winner of the 2020 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open. Carlos earned Korn Ferry Tour membership for the first time in 2014 and thrived, winning three times to earn his first PGA TOUR card. The now-father of three returned to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2017, but he earned back his TOUR card in 2018 and has maintained a steady progression since. The brothers learned the game at an early age – “I don’t have any memories without golf,” Carlos said – and were quickly enthralled. “They’re similar in that they are both very competitive,” reflected mom Chela. “They knew from a very young age what they wanted to do. I remember, in elementary school, Carlos was like, ‘I’m going to be a professional golfer.’ “The problem with Carlos was that we didn’t know the path to college golf.” During Carlos’ adolescence in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the progression of Mexican junior golfers to United States Division I golf was uncommon. The Ortiz family wasn’t as connected in the traditional circles of high-level junior golf; tips and tricks have been acquired and now shared with families of aspiring pro golfers across the country. At the time, they weren’t clued in regarding the best tournaments to draw exposure to a promising young player. Early on, Division I options were limited, but Carlos drew the attention of University of North Texas coach Brad Stracke – then in his first few months on the job – late in the recruiting process. Stracke had caught wind of scores in the low- to mid 60s at a junior event in Mexico and correctly deemed that Carlos had the potential to play as a freshman. “He didn’t have a lot of options, when it came his time to go to the States,” Chela remembered. “He had not played a lot in the United States, so there were not a lot of offers for him. So we went with the offer that we had, North Texas. It turned out pretty good. “He was not the first Mexican to go to college golf, but he was the first of this era that started breaking the paradigm of becoming a professional golfer and going to Division I college golf.” Once it became apparent that Alvaro was determined to follow in Carlos’ footsteps, the family had a roadmap. Alvaro played a robust schedule of high-level junior events across the United States – the family would take two-week trips at a time, integrating golf and sightseeing. He competed alongside the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland at junior events, and he received a variety of Division I offers, eventually selecting the University of Arkansas. As Alvaro completed his high school career and headed to Arkansas as a freshman, Carlos was thriving as a Korn Ferry Tour rookie. With the family unsure of the expenses needed to travel and compete on the Korn Ferry Tour, Carlos Sr. and Chela sold an investment condo, gaining a financial safety net in case the road was rocky. Carlos quickly rewarded his family’s belief. He finished third in his first Korn Ferry Tour start as a member, the 2014 Astara Golf Championship, and he won three events later at The Panama Championship. He added victories at the El Bosque Mexico Championship and Regular Season-ending WinCo Foods Portland Open, and he was off to the PGA TOUR. “It was a crazy season,” Alvaro remembers. “I was just signed for Arkansas and was getting ready for college … it was crazy how he played that season. I felt like every week, he had a chance to win. That really pushed me, going to college and trying to get better, trying to go out there as quick as I could. “And I remember he won the third one, the first week I got to Arkansas. It was pretty special, getting there and him getting his promotion to the PGA TOUR.” The brothers’ journeys have taken different timelines, but the bond endures, and they relish the occasions where paths cross. After Alvaro gained 2019 Masters entry via his victory at the Latin America Amateur Championship, Carlos caddied in the Par 3 Contest. (Alvaro proceeded to make the cut and finish T36.) Their playful dynamic is readily apparent. They traded barbs at a Tuesday press conference ahead of this week’s Mexico Open, and when asked to pose for photos on the first tee box Wednesday, they quickly leapt onto an adjacent bleacher and put their arms around each other. “We compete in anything, and I think that’s pushed us to be great,” Carlos said. “It’s always great when you have somebody to practice and share everything with. You work hard, and then when it’s your brother, it’s even better. “Yesterday, we finished playing and we went to a gym together and took a 10-minute ice, and we were both shaking and giving each other (crap) in the ice. Those kinds of experiences, it’s great to share them with your brother. I think that’s one of the reasons we have success and always kept improving, because we push each other.” They’ve helped push forward a country of aspiring young pros who aim to follow their path, as well.

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It’s the annual exhale following the Masters, but this year’s RBC Heritage presents its own hype. The tournament is celebrating its 50th edition this week. Thirty-three who competed at Augusta National Golf Club — three of whom recorded a top 10 and another six a top 25 — made the short trip to Harbour Town Golf Links along the Calibogue Sound that helps frame Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. For details on how the Pete Dye design should test the 132-man field, scroll beneath the ranking. POWER RANKINGS: RBC HERITAGE COMMENT PLAYER RANK The native of nearby Savannah, Georgia, recorded top 10s here in 2014 and 2017. Since last year’s T9, he’s added 11 top10s. He’s got no weaknesses as he’s dangerous throughout his bag. The recent runner-up at the Match Play lost in a playoff at Harbour Town in 2015. He also finished T11 last year after sitting T3 through 54 holes, and is eighth on TOUR in strokes gained: putting. It’s comical how well he’s performed at Harbour Town and still remains in pursuit of his first victory. Since 2009, he’s 9-for-9 with five seconds (one playoff loss), two thirds and a T15. His first appearance since 2009 allows him to test a newly refined approach game on a course where he can holster the driver. The world’s top-ranked talent leads TOUR in adjusted scoring. Perfect in all 14 appearances since 2004, he’s logged five top 10s, including the 2014 title. He’s no worse than T11 in the last four editions. Top 10s most recently in Austin and Houston. It’s remarkable how he’s adapted with his putter. He’s currently 10th on TOUR in strokes gained: putting and seventh in scrambling. A playoff victim here in 2013 and 7-for-7 since 2010. So much for the expectation to slide after Valspar win. He was eliminated from Match Play in pool-play playoff; T15 at Masters. Spot starts at Harbour Town include three top 25s from 2009-2014. He continues to impress on the biggest stages. Chased a T5 at the Match Play and the same at the Masters. He now has 11 top 20s in his last 14 starts worldwide. T15 here in 2015. He made it 5-for-5 at the Masters with a T12 punctuated by an ace at the par-3 16th on Sunday. He’s got top 20s in three of last five starts, and has a trio of top 15s at Harbour Town in eight visits. He’s 4-for-4 with no worse than a T18 at Harbour Town since 2014. Co-runner-up in 2016. Three top 20s in 2018. Inside the top 30 in both greens in regulation and proximity to the hole. Only has one top 25 (T9, 2013) in eight appearances, but is now a threat everywhere he commits. Four top 10s in 2018, including a solo ninth at the Masters where he was T4 in scrambling. He’s quietly crafting a solid season with six top 25s, including in each of his last five starts. Elevated ball-striking has yielded consistency, and top-shelf putting vaults him onto leaderboards. Failing to put four rounds together is shrouding his slots in GIR (46th), proximity (5th), scrambling (27th) and adjusted scoring (18th). The 2012 runner-up is 9-for-12 at Harbour Town. He finished T44 at the Masters as the last qualifier. The sometimer at Harbour Town posted top 20s in 2015 and 2017, and now has renewed confidence with his putter to match strong ball-striking. He’s comfortable at Harbour Town with three top 10s since 2014 and a scoring average of 69.44 in his last 16 rounds. His up-and-down 2017-18 features a T16 at the Valspar a month ago. Kevin Chappell, Jason Dufner, Brandt Snedeker and Luke List will be among the notables covered in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. Harbour Town is a third-shot track if there ever was one. The notion that greens averaging just 3,700 square feet demand precision on approach ignores the ease of salvaging par on a course where par has value. In benign conditions last year, the field averaged 70.676 on the par 36-35=71 measuring 7,099 yards. So, there’s no reason to panic after failing to find targets from the sky. Although the 2017 field averaged a little better than 11 greens in regulation per round, when it needed to scramble for par, it did so successfully nearly two-thirds of the time. En route to his breakthrough victory, Wesley Bryan authored a classic case for the opportunity that doesn’t discriminate against the extremes. Despite slotting just T55 in fairways hit and T66 in GIR, he carded four rounds in the 60s. He ranked seventh in proximity to the hole and led the field in scrambling. We should witness a mixed bag of (front-loaded) scoring this week. Primarily cooperative conditions are forecast through Saturday, albeit with intensifying winds of 10-15 mph by the third round. Come Sunday, the elevated risk of rain and storms will be accompanied by sustained winds flirting with and likely exceeding 20 mph. Therefore, experience, low ball flight and patience should connect the contenders for the tartan jacket. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton covers numerous angles in between tournaments. Look for his following contributions this week. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Facebook Live, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done THURSDAY: Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Champions One & Done * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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