Alvaro Ortiz just stomped through the Korn Ferry Tour's Simmons Bank Open like he was trying to get to the bottom of a particularly stubborn stain. Seriously, this guy won wire-to-wire, shooting a ridiculous 26-under. It’s like he looked at the course and thought, "Perfection is a myth, but I'm going to chase it down and slap it silly anyway."
His closest competitors, Sandy Scott and Hayden Springer, probably felt like they were watching a ghost. Scott, bless his heart, tried to keep up, but Ortiz’s lead was as solid as a three-putt on the 18th. The final round was less of a nail-biter and more of a steady march of birdies, proving that sometimes, just playing really, really good golf is more dramatic than any manufactured playoff. My guess? He’s probably already planning his PGA Tour victory speech, which will likely involve a lot of quiet, intense nodding.
This win basically hands Ortiz a golden ticket to the PGA Tour. I imagine for him, that’s about as exciting as finally getting that stubborn lid off a pickle jar. He probably just gives a subtle, knowing smirk to the golf gods, who, this week, decided to bless his sensible game plan. Good for him.