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HOUSTON – Carlos Ortiz kept Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama at bay by finishing with a 5-under 65 to win the Vivint Houston Open on Sunday, becoming the first Mexican player to win the PGA TOUR in 42 years.
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He earned it all, involved in a tough back nine battle with the defending FedExCup winner and Japan’s biggest star. Ortiz delivered the winner with a 6 to 8 foot iron on par 5 16th. He had to settle for a two-putts birdie, and held out when Johnson and Matsuyama narrowly missed their chances of incoming birdies.
Ortiz finished in style. Needing two putts to win, the 29-year-old punched a 20-foot birdie putt for a two-stroke win.
Ortiz held back tears as he waited for his playmates to putt. The win sends him to the Masters Tournament next April. He was there a year ago to see his brother, Alvaro, who qualified by winning the Latin American Amateur.
“It’s fantastic,” said Ortiz, who grew up in Guadalajara and played in North Texas with Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz, the latest Latin American winner on TOUR. “This is like my second home. There was a lot of people cheering for me, Latin Americans and Texans. I am grateful for all of them. “
It was the loudest cheer for a winner since March. The Vivint Houston Open was the first national PGA TOUR event that allowed spectators, with 2,000 tickets sold each day. They were treated to a good show.
The last Mexican-born player to win was Victor Regelado, who clinched the Quad Cities Open in 1978.
Johnson was making his first start from the US Open after a positive coronavirus test knocked him out of THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK and ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD.
After opening with a 72, Johnson bounced back with two rounds of 66 and a closing 65. His only regret would be the 16th hole. Tied to the lead, Johnson waved a 7-iron for his second shot on the par 5, leaving a hard chip at 18 feet and a birdie putt that grazed the left edge of the cup.
Johnson had another birdie putt take his lip on the next hole.
Matsuyama briefly tied for the lead with birdies on 16 and 17, making a 15 foot on 17 just before Ortiz made his birdie on 16.
Ortiz closed at 13-under 267.
Sam Burns, the leader of the 54 holes, had a 72 and Jason Day finished with a 71. Neither was a major factor for much of the day. It was Ortiz holding off two very experienced players from winning and tasting it for the first time.
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