Carlos Ortiz
Age
24
Born
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Resides
Dallas
Story
Won three times on the Web.com Tour last year, earning $US515,403 and his US PGA Tour card for 2015.
Nod to my country
My irons, wedges and putter have white, red and green paintfills inspired by the flag of Mexico. I make sure they’re placed in my bag so the colours alternate. I grew up playing at Guadalajara Country Club, where Lorena Ochoa worked on her game. I’m honoured to represent my country like her.
Life moves so fast
I’ve learned that golf is the same, at any level. It might seem crazy to be playing on the US PGA Tour, just two years out of college [University of North Texas], but as long as I shoot low scores, I’m going to do OK out here. That’s why I’ve stuck with some of the clubs I’ve used since college. It can be tempting to change, but I won’t as long as they keep working.
DRIVER
Specs Ping G30,9.75˚ loft, Ping Tour 65 shaft, X-flex, 45¼ inches, D-3 swingweight
My go-to shot off the tee is a fade. The G30 lets me work the ball without creating too much spin. Even if I miss with this, it’s going far and in play.
FAIRWAY WOOD
Specs Ping Anser 3-wood, 14.5˚ loft, Ping TFC800 shaft, S-flex, 42½ inches
I can launch this high with some spin to hold a firm green if I need to. But off the tee, there’s little spin. This is a hard club for me to change because I trust it.
HYBRID
Specs Ping Anser, 18˚ loft, Aldila Tour Blue 105 shaft, X-flex, 40¾ inches, 1˚ flat
I’ve been playing with this hybrid (and my 3-wood) since college. I can hit this 2-iron replacement into par 5s yet also play recovery shots out of the rough.
IRONS
Specs Ping S55, 3-iron through pitching wedge, 1˚ upright, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shafts, Ping iD8-White +1 grips
I started playing Ping irons at age 16, and I’ve switched over to each new iron set they’ve come out with. It seems like I can control spin and launch the lower irons high, even in windy conditions.
WEDGES
Specs Ping Glide prototype (52˚ and 58˚), 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts
I like having these new grooves, and I think the extra bounce on these clubs has helped me hit better shots from difficult lies around the greens.
PUTTER
Specs Ping Scottsdale Piper C custom putter, 34 inches, 4˚ loft, 21˚ lie angle,364 grams (headweight), Ping PP58 midsize grip
In fifth grade, I started using a putter with a plumbers-neck hosel. The guys at Ping welded a custom hosel onto this to match the look I like.
[table]CLUB,METRES*
driver,270
3-wood,242
2-hybrid,224
3-iron,206
4-iron,197
5-iron,187
6-iron,174
7-iron,162
8-iron,151
9-iron,140
pw,128[/table]
Ditched the deuces
I play the Titleist Pro V1x, but never a No.2 ball. In European Q school, I lost two balls on the first two holes. I had a local caddie who swore No.2s were unlucky. Sure enough, we switched to a No.3, and I made five straight birdies. I’ve never played No.2s since.
My military medallion
Last year, I played in a pro-am with a US Army investigator. He gave me this badge, and then immediately I won in Portland. I wouldn’t say I’m overly superstitious. It’s more of a nice reminder of good times.
Mean business on the green
I wanted to have the mascot of my college – North Texas – represented on my bag. So this putter cover is important to me. College golf was huge for my growth as a player.
Call it “feng shui”
When I was in China in 2011 for the World University Games, a girl gave me this good-luck charm. Our Mexican team won the bronze medal, which was so cool, so I’ve kept it in my bag ever since.
— with Stephen Hennessey
