Carlos Ortiz gets his first PGA Tour victory at Houston Open

Published 2:16 pm Monday, November 9, 2020

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BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOUSTON (AP) — Carlos Ortiz held off Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama by closing with a 5-under 65 to win the Houston Open on Sunday, becoming the first Mexican to win on the PGA Tour in 42 years.

He earned every bit of it, caught in a tight battle on the back nine with the world’s No. 1 player and Japan’s biggest star. Ortiz delivered the winner with a 6-iron to 8 feet on the par-5 16th. He had to settle for a two-putt birdie, and it held up when Johnson and Matsuyama narrowly missed birdie chances coming in.

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Ortiz finished in style. Needing two putts to win, the 29-year-old holed a 20-foot birdie putt for a two-shot victory that sends him to the Masters next April for the first time.

It was the loudest cheer for a winner since March. The Houston Open was the first domestic PGA Tour event that allowed spectators, with 2,000 tickets sold daily. They were treated to a good show.

The last Mexican-born player to win was Victor Regelado, who captured the Quad Cities Open in 1978.

Johnson was making his first start since the U.S. Open after a positive coronavirus test knocked him out of the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek and the Zozo Championship at Sherwood.

After opening with a 72, Johnson rallied with two rounds of 66 and a closing 65. His one regret would be the 16th hole. Tied for the lead, Johnson fanned a 7-iron for his second shot on the par 5, leaving a tough chip to 18 feet and a birdie putt that grazed the left edge of the cup. Matsuyama closed with a 63.

Ortiz finished at 13-under 267.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

PHOENIX (AP) — The PGA Tour Champions season will last at least another day.

The final round of the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship will be played on Monday after Kevin Sutherland and Paul Broadhurst traded pars through six playoff holes in near darkness.

Broadhurst played a superb final round on Sunday, erasing a six-shot deficit with a bogey-free 63 in the season finale for the over-50 tour, which won’t crown a champion until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sutherland stumbled through the early part of the round to lose an overnight five-shot lead over Wes Short Jr., but closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole to shoot a 2-under 69.

Broadhurst and Sutherland finished at 15-under 198.

EUROPEAN TOUR

PAPHOS, Cyprus (AP) — Robert MacIntyre of Scotland was inches away from a hole-in-one and followed with a two-putt birdie for a 7-under 64 to win the Cyprus Showdown on Sunday for his first European Tour title.

MacIntyre birdied four of his last six holes at Aphrodite Hills Resort to beat Masahiro Kawamura by one shot.

The format cut the field to 32 players on the weekend, and then the top 16 and ties going into the final round, with scores reset for the final two rounds.

Jorge Campillo of Spain was another shot behind.

MacIntyre was tied for the lead when the left-handed Scot delivered a pure swing on the par-3 17th, the ball stopping next to the cup. Kawamura birdied the 18th ahead of him to tie for the lead one last time before MacIntyre drilled his tee shot and set up a solid approach into the par-5 closing hole.

OTHER TOURS

Jiyai Shin closed with a 6-under 66 and won the Toto Japan Classic on the Japan LPGA by three shots over Yuka Saso of the Philippines. … Ondrej Lieser closed with a 5-under 67 for a two-shot victory over Richard Mansell in the Andalucia Challenge of Spain on the European Challenge Tour. … Na Rin An denied Ha Na Jang a second straight Korean LPGA Tour victory by closing with a 71 to win the Hana Financial Group Championship. … Ruan Korb closed with a 2-under 70 and held on for a one-shot victory over Anton Haig in the Time Sqaure Casino Challenge on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa. … Frida Kinhult of Sweden won her first Symetra Tour title on Friday with a 70 in the final round for a four-shot victory in the Symetra Tour Championship. … Minjee Lee of Australia won her second Ladies European Tour title with a birdie on the first playoff hole to beat Celine Boutier in the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic, which ended on Friday.

TOURS
Jiyai Shin closed with a 6-under 66 and won the Toto Japan Classic on the Japan LPGA by three shots over Yuka Saso of the Philippines. … Ondrej Lieser closed with a 5-under 67 for a two-shot victory over Richard Mansell in the Andalucia Challenge of Spain on the European Challenge Tour. … Na Rin An denied Ha Na Jang a second straight Korean LPGA Tour victory by closing with a 71 to win the Hana Financial Group Championship. … Ruan Korb closed with a 2-under 70 and held on for a one-shot victory over Anton Haig in the Time Sqaure Casino Challenge on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa. … Frida Kinhult of Sweden won her first Symetra Tour title on Friday with a 70 in the final round for a four-shot victory in the Symetra Tour Championship. … Minjee Lee of Australia won her second Ladies European Tour title with a birdie on the first playoff hole to beat Celine Boutier in the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic, which ended on Friday.