Golf

Carlos Ortiz: Facts, Career Earnings and Net Worth of LIV Golf’s 2024 Houston Winner

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Jun 14, 2024 / 2996 Views

Despite the string of strong results since he joined LIV Golf in 2022, if Carlos Ortiz wondered why the ‘W’ box remained unchecked, it was because fate had planned it this way. Houston was his only hurrah on the PGA Tour, and on Sunday, June 9, LIV Golf’s first tournament in June signalled a breakthrough moment for Carlos Ortiz in Texas, this time on the Saudi-funded league, where it is Golf alright, “but louder”.

With the latest LIV Golf win in Houston, Ortiz deepened the bond with Texas that took root many years ago. After the initial years in his home country, it was the University of North Texas that shaped him as a world beater across global tours.

“I love playing here, obviously, Texas treats me well. It’s my adopted home state, and I’m happy to get it done again in Houston. I guess Texas likes me, and I like Texas back,” said the 33-year-old Mexican after LIV Houston, which took place from June 7 to 9.

But for the double bogey on the final hole of the US Open qualifier in Dallas a few weeks back, Ortiz would have been readying himself for a shot at Major glory in Pinehurst this week. The hurt is apparent, but there is no time to ponder for the remaining season awaits Ortiz.

The belief was always there, and the latest win has reinforced Ortiz’s confidence that he can count himself among the best in the world once more.

LIV’s next stop is at Nashville, Tennessee, from June 21 to 23, and before his next tee-off, we track the journey of Carlos Ortiz as a name to reckon with in world golf, his career, and growing net worth and earnings.

Carlos Ortiz: Career earnings, net worth and things to know about the LIV Golf Houston winner

The Lorena Ochoa effect

Growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, Ortiz was introduced to golf by his father at a time when Lorena Ochoa was at the peak of her golfing powers in the US. Her work ethic, which led to 27 titles on the LPGA Tour and induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame and LPGA Hall of Fame, rubbed off on Ortiz as he watched Ochoa toil at the driving range of the Guadalajara Country Club.

There was an option to choose other sports, but golf it was for the vivacious athlete as he found it “the most challenging sport to play”. Competing hard on the greens set the adrenaline racing, and even before he began to make a mark, Ochoa had set the bar high by picking his favourite four-ball in Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, all legends, and himself.

Making of a champion

It was with the belief that he could hold his own among the best that Ortiz commenced his dream of winning on the PGA Tour after a successful amateur career.

Competition on the world’s toughest golf tour was cut-throat, and Ortiz took time to find his feet. The setbacks were anticipated but the learning did not stop even in the phases when he lost his playing rights and had to fight on the Korn Ferry Tour to get back on the PGA Tour.

The perseverance started to pay off from the 2019 season when Ortiz began knocking on the door with three top-10s and a runner-up result. In November 2020, Ortiz notched his biggest pay cheque till then — USD 1.26 million at the Vivint Houston Open.

The two-shot win over heavyweight names like Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama fast-tracked his career and entry to the top-50 on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).

With a couple of more top-10s and the honour of wearing his national colours at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Ortiz reached an all-time high 44th on OWGR in a productive phase which lasted till his last appearance on the PGA Tour in June 2022.

When Ortiz left, his stats made for impressive reading — 161 events, 92 cuts made, 1 win, 2 runner-up, 1 third-place finish, 8 top-5s, 11 top-10s, and career earnings of USD 7,752,048.

The LIV chapter

When Ortiz switched from the PGA Tour, and traded Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points for more money in the bank account, which LIV offers, he came on board as a winner.

Expectations were high, and Ortiz made an immediate impact with a runner-up in his first appearance at Portland, followed by a top-4 the week after in Bedminster. The strong results got him USD 2,125,000 and USD 1,05,000 respectively, the best pay cheques in six starts that season.

The strong start on LIV got Ortiz a spot in the Fireballs GC team the following season. Under skipper Sergio Garcia, Ortiz was the perfect team-man as he notched four top-10s, including a runner-up in Tucson (he earned USD 1,558,333), and played a part in the Fireballs’ lifting the team championship that week.

In 2024, Ortiz signed with Torque GC, led by Chile’s Joaquin Niemann. Overcoming a sluggish start, he found his footing with a 4th finish in Hong Kong.

Buildup to Houston

Prior to the high in Houston, Ortiz scaled another peak this February in a faraway land by winning the International Series Oman to become only the third Mexican winner on the Asian Tour. The following month, a top-10 at the International Series Macau breathed life in Ortiz’s sagging world ranking.

The absence of OWGR points on LIV has been a subject of debate, and Ortiz was vocal about it in Houston.

The week on LIV started with Ortiz shooting rounds of 6-under and 4-under, and he placed himself in a tie for the top spot with Paul Casey, Adrian Meronk and David Puig going into Sunday.

As the day wore on, it became a two-way race with newcomer Meronk, but Ortiz’s experience and ability to handle pressure better saw him through to his first win on LIV.

“It means a lot. I’ve been working really hard,” said Ortiz. “I’ve come close a couple of times. I think I learned a lot from Australia, and I just tried to stay patient and do my thing, and it worked out.”

Ortiz took the lion’s share in Houston, a USD 4 million cheque out of a USD 20 million purse, but to come away with no OWGR points was a sore point.

Till the PGA Tour and LIV work out a compromise, the uncertainty will continue for Ortiz and his co-players, and the uncertainty reflected in Ortiz’s address.

“I’ve been playing great. I think with time we’re going to get back into the Majors because I know that I’m one of the best players in the world right now, and I deserve to be there. But the way things are happening right now, it’s kind of hard.”

Road ahead

Putting aside the pain of missing out on the US Open, Ortiz is intent on gaining solace by qualifying for next month’s Open Championship, the season’s final Major, at Royal Troon and making a second Olympic appearance for Mexico at Paris in early August.

“I’ll do my best to get into the British Open, and I also have the summer Olympics, other than the LIV tournaments coming up. I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of the season,” said Ortiz.

A boost to the net worth and income of Carlos Ortiz

In his three seasons on LIV Golf, Carlos Ortiz has made strong financial gains that have increased his earnings and overall net worth. As per spotrac.com, his individual payouts from 2022 till now are USD 11,057,211, and team payouts stand at USD 5,125,000. Adding up the team champion bonus, his career earnings on LIV are at USD 17,232,211.

Apart from official prize money, Ortiz has scored endorsement deals with Rolex, Akron, Titleist, Delta, TV Azteca, Vidanta, FootJoy, Greyson, and Dobel. His exact net worth is unknown, with unverified media reports estimating it to be around USD 5 million. But one thing is certain — Ortiz is a name to watch.

(Main and featured images: Carlos Ortiz/ Instagram)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who won LIV Golf’s 2024 event in Houston?

Carlos Ortiz notched his first win on LIV Golf with a three-day score of 15-under par.

How much prize money did Carlos Ortiz win at Houston?

Out of the total corpus of USD 20 million in Houston, Carlos Ortiz won USD 4 million.

What is special about Carlos Ortiz’s win at Houston?

Ortiz’s affinity for Texas was reaffirmed with the win in LIV Houston. His breakthrough moment on the PGA Tour also happened here in 2020.

What is LIV Golf?

Funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, LIV Golf launched operations in June 2022 with a 54-hole, no cut format. The enhanced prize purse led to an exodus from the PGA Tour, sparking a conflict between the entities. In a sudden announcement last year, a merger move was declared but no agreement has been reached yet.