Carlos Ortiz

Carlos Ortiz: Mexican golfer targeting more success after first LIV Golf win

Carlos Ortiz felt truly at home with LIV Golf in 2024, adding his name to the roster of winners with his maiden victory at the Golf Club of Houston in Texas, his adopted home state.

Ortiz, 33, was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city, but pursued his education at the University of North Texas where he was to meet future wife Haley and fellow golf fanatic Sebastian Munoz, who is now his LIV Golf teammate at Torque.

Texas also played host to his first and only win on the PGA Tour when Ortiz triumphed at the 2020 Houston Open, at the same time becoming the first Mexican golfer to win a PGA Tour title in 42 years.

“I love playing here,” he reflected, after capturing his first LIV crown. “I’m happy to get it done again in Houston. I guess Texas likes me, and I like Texas back.”

Earning his place with LIV Golf

Carlos Ortiz made the switch to the LIV Golf series in June 2022.

It was an exciting signing for LIV as he joined at the same time as fellow countryman Abraham Ancer, meaning Mexico’s two best professionals were committing their futures to the league.

Ortiz joined Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs for the first two LIV Golf seasons and hit the ground running with a runner-up finish in his debut in Portland.

In 19 starts for Fireballs GC, he managed six top-10 finishes, and his consistent performances secured him 13th place in the player standings in the 2022 Invitational Series and 15th in the 2023 LIV Golf League.

The top 24 players at the season’s end earn the right to a contract extension from their existing team, but for 2024 Ortiz chose to become a free agent.

That gave him the opportunity to link up again with old university buddy Sebastian Munoz and longtime friends Mito Pereira and captain Joaquin Niemann at Torque.

“Before we joined LIV, we were already a team,” Ortiz told LIV’s official podcast Fairway To Heaven. “We would share coaches, we were sharing a chef, we were staying pretty much every week together in the houses, we were traveling together, our vacations were together.

“Nothing has changed for us. The only thing is we’re playing on a different tour.”

Ortiz warmed up for the 2024 season by competing in February’s International Series Oman on the Asian Tour.

A 19-under total of 269 over four days, including a final-round 65, saw Ortiz blow away the opposition as he finished four strokes ahead of runner-up Louis Oosthuizen.

With the change of team for 2024, an uplift in status came along as he became a LIV Golf winner for the first time in Houston.

Ortiz carded a final-round 67 to finish at 15 under and clinch the trophy, one stroke ahead of Cleeks GC's Adrian Meronk.

He also represented Mexico at the 2024 Paris Olympics, securing 26th place. It was his second Olympic Games following on from a T42 at Tokyo 2020.

Ortiz continued to impress in 2025 when he finished T4 at the U.S. Open at historically difficult Oakmont. It was the best major finish of his career.

A coming of age at The Barclays

A year after turning pro in 2013, Carlos Ortiz made a flying start to his career in the PGA Tour’s development competition, the Korn Ferry Tour.

He won three events which led to his peers naming him the Tour’s 2014 Player of the Year.

It was at The Barclays in his first full PGA Tour season in 2015 that he announced his arrival on the big stage.

At the age of 24 Ortiz carded a stunning third-round 8-under 62 at Plainfield Country Club to tie for the lead with Bubba Watson, having started the day just above the cut.

Although he ended the weekend tied for 24th, his eye-opening third round featuring eight birdies and no bogeys had projected his name to the wider golfing world.

An interesting swing

The first thing you notice about the Carlos Ortiz driver swing is his slightly unconventional grip, with the index finger of his right hand extending down the shaft of the club.

Ortiz is 6 feet tall and with his stance a little open he lifts the club back and up relatively quickly and is very athletic on the downswing, with good hip rotation to hit all the way through.

Elite coach Justin Poynter helped Ortiz to finesse his game on the fairways when working the ball towards the flag, using draws and fades to correct any slight deviance and keep the ball straight.

“The shorter the club for me, the easier it is to hit draws,” says Ortiz.

“Then from 7-iron, 6-iron I hit fades.”

Carlos Ortiz’s life away from the course

Carlos Ortiz the golfer has mastered his sport but Carlos Ortiz the father claims he is far from being the master in his own home, with four daughters and a loving wife to keep him busy.

Ortiz married his college sweetheart Haley after the couple courted for several years. As he explained to Fairway To Heaven: “We met in school, she liked me and she got me.”

Their family of six have settled in Dallas though Ortiz revealed that they have also had a house in Mexico and one being built in Florida.

American Haley learned Spanish early on in their relationship so she could chat with Ortiz’s mother Graciela, father Carlos and extended family in their native language.

Ortiz has two younger brothers, Alvarro Ortiz, who won two events on the 2013 Mexican Professional Golf Tour, and Alejandro.