Carlos Ortiz narrowly wins his first title at LIV Golf Houston

Mexican Carlos Ortiz earned his first LIV Golf victory Sunday at LIV Golf Houston by shooting a 5-under 67 to finish at 15 under, one shot ahead of Poland’s Adrian Meronk.

Ortiz, 33, whose only PGA Tour victory came at the Vivint Houston Open in 2020, entered the final round tied for the lead with Meronk, Spaniard David Puig and Englishman Paul Casey at the Golf Club in Houston.

Ortiz and Meronk remained tied with four holes to play, but on the par-5 15th, Meronk bogeyed the hole while Ortiz birdied en route to his first victory since February at the Oman International Series. ‘Asian Tour.

“I didn’t want to jinx it, so I didn’t say anything the first few times,” Ortiz said of his play in Houston. “But I love playing here. Obviously Texas treats me well. It’s my adopted state. I’m just happy to start again in Houston.

“I think it was pretty much between me and Meronk. (Puig), too, but Meronk probably on the back nine. Honestly, it was just a matter of playing solid down the stretch. I think that there was a change there. 15 that I made a birdie, he made a bogey, and I just knew I had to make a par, and it was mine.

Ortiz, who made six birdies, including three in a row on Nos. 6 through 8, made bogey on No. 18 to hold on for victory.

“Don’t do it because people were going to get mad at me, so I just made sure I did it,” he said. “No kidding, I worked on those chips. It’s easy right now. I don’t even know what I did. It was an easy chip.”

It wasn’t a total loss for Meronk, who birdied five holes – including three in a row on Nos. 11-13 – as he helped Cleeks GC finish at 33 under to win its first team title. Fireballs GC and Smash GC finished two shots behind tied for second place.

Meronk and Puig (69 Sunday), who tied Patrick Reed (68) for third this weekend at 13 under, are among 12 LIV Golf players who will compete in next weekend’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst #2. Puig and Reed had two bogeys on Sunday.

Spaniard Sergio Garcia (68), who made a double bogey at the par-4 5th hole and a bogey at the 17th, completed the top five at 11 under.

India’s Anirban Lahiri (68), Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell (69) and Australia’s Lucas Herbert (69) are tied for sixth with a score of minus-10.

Casey had a tough final round, with only two birdies, a double bogey at No. 12 and a bogey at No. 17. He shot 73 and is tied for ninth at 9 under with Brooks Koepka (65), Cameron Tringale. (68) and the German Martin Kaymer (70).

–Field level media