HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Carlos Ortiz is ready to put his best foot forward as he tries to win his first PGA Tour title.
Especially now that the pinkie toe in his left foot is healed.
Ortiz raced up the leaderboard Saturday in the third round of the RBC Heritage at windless, defenseless Harbour Town Golf Links with an 8-under-par 63 that gave him a share of the lead when he finished play.
Through 54 holes, he is at 14-under 199 and in the best position to win his maiden Tour title since he tied for second in the Mayakoba Classic last November.
“That’s something I always dream of,” Ortiz said about earning his first PGA Tour victory. “I feel like I did a great job last year of putting myself in position, and I think I did a great job during these first three days to get myself in that position again. So I’m just going to enjoy tomorrow, and I’m just happy I have a chance.”
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He’s also pretty happy to be out of a walking boot. A little over nine weeks ago, Ortiz was lifting weights – barefoot, mind you – when a weight fell on his left foot and broke his pinkie toe. He wore a walking boot for six weeks and has been playing and practicing for just three weeks.
“I learned my lesson,” Ortiz, 29, smiled when asked if he’d ever lift weights again barefoot. “I struggled because on the swing you have to kind of move your weight to that side. So even though I felt like I was fine, I was still struggling mentally to like trust it and move to that side. That’s why I’ve been a little bit off, especially off the tee with a driver. Then just been working hard on trusting it.”
He also had to trust himself and remain patient when he made two double bogeys in his first five holes in Thursday’s first round. Instead of getting in position to win the famous plaid jacket that goes to the victor here, he was wondering if he’d get to the weekend.
From the sixth hole on, he’s made 17 birdies, two eagles and just three bogeys.
“I just told my caddie, like, ‘Dude, let’s just grind.’ Let’s just find our game and start getting some confidence back,” Ortiz said about going to the sixth hole after the two doubles. “That’s what we did. We just stayed patient, started hitting great shots. Starting that way was tough, but I was really proud of the way I came back.”
On Saturday, Ortiz, who won three times in 2014 on the Web.com Tour, found the fairway 10 of 14 times in regulation and cashed in by hitting 14 of the smallish greens in regulation. He chipped in from 45 feet on the second for eagle and knocked in a 7 footer for eagle on the fifth. He closed with three birdies in his last four holes.
“Pretty much textbook. I put myself in position off the tee, and after that you’ve got short irons into these greens,” Ortiz said. “They’re soft, so it’s pretty much throwing darts out there. I feel great on the greens, and that’s always good.”
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