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- All three make their debut in Portland, the tour’s second event
DUBAI: The Saudi-backed LIV Golf company has announced that rising star Matthew Wolff, world number two amateur Eugenio Chacarra and international standout Carlos Ortiz are officially joining the tour and will tee off in Portland.
The field is now set for the LIV Golf Invitational Portland, the new organization’s second event of the season taking place from June 30 to July 2 at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon. LIV Golf is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
One of golf’s longest hitters off the tee, the 23-year-old Wolff has quickly established himself among the game’s top competitors. An All-American at Oklahoma State University and winner of the 2019 NCAA Division I individual championship, Wolff turned professional in 2019 and secured his first win less than one month later. He has continued to make an impact within golf’s elite, reaching a career-best number 12 in the world in October 2020 and earning seven top-10 finishes, including runner-up at the US Open and fourth at the PGA Championship.
World ranked number two amateur Eugenio Chacarra will make his first appearance as a professional with LIV Golf. The 22-year-old is a two-time All-American at Oklahoma State University, where he was a finalist for both the Ben Hogan Award and the Haskins Award as the NCAA’s top collegiate golfer. The number one amateur from Spain, Chacarra made 14 collegiate starts in 2021-22, winning three times with six additional top-six finishes.
Ortiz, winner of four professional tournaments worldwide, has been a standout since turning professional in 2014. He has spent 80 weeks of his career ranked in the top 100 and reached 44th in the world in February 2021. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico and a collegiate golfer at the University of North Texas, Ortiz represented his country at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
“Our impressive roster of LIV golfers continues to grow with incredible young talent and international stars. Matthew Wolff and Eugenio Chacarra have both made a name for themselves as two of golf’s most promising talents, exhibiting impressive success at an early age. I’m eager to watch them play alongside Carlos Ortiz, one of Mexico’s most consistent pros who along with many of our other golfers represents LIV Golf’s continued commitment to growing the game on a global scale,” said Greg Norman, CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf. “LIV Golf is providing new opportunities for the best players in the world to compete, and our field in Portland reflects that. We can’t wait to kick off our first US event with these incredible golfers.”
The Portland field will showcase nine of the last 21 major winners, four former world number one players and nearly half of its competitors currently ranked in the top 100. The global field represents 12 different countries and a combined 20 major titles, as well as future stars of the game who earned NCAA National Championships, US Amateur Championships and professional tour wins among their accomplishments. Players will compete in golf’s most exciting new format for $25 million and the chance to become the second individual and team champions for LIV Golf.
The LIV Golf Invitational Portland offer opportunities for golfers from around the world including the Asian Tour, DP World Tour, PGA Tour, Sunshine Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia and Japan Golf Tour, as well as leading players from The International Series, which launched in Thailand in March, and top finishers from the LIV Golf Invitational Series. LIV Golf will continue to reward players that compete and perform well in its events, with a broad spectrum of exemption categories designed to ensure it delivers new opportunities for international golfers, as well as pathways for amateurs and the next generation of leading players, into elite professional golf.
The 48-man field in Portland will play across 12 teams of four players each. Teams for Portland will be announced on Tuesday, June 28.
The LIV Golf Invitational Series launched June 9 to a worldwide audience showcasing its new, innovative format with more action, shotgun starts and no cut.