By Rahul Banerji
The long-hitting but off-form Matthew Wolff and world no.2 ranked amateur Eugenio Chacarra have become the latest to join the LIV Golf ranks, the organisation has said.
They will be joined by Mexican star Carlos Ortiz and all three will make their series debut in Portland in a couple of days.
The three inductions filled out the field for the LIV Golf Invitational Portland at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon from June 30 to July 2.
One of golf’s longest hitters off the tee, the 23-year-old Wolff quickly established himself in the pro ranks with his distance and quirky pre-shot action.
An All-American at Oklahoma State and winner of the 2019 NCAA Division I individual championship, Wolff turned pro in 2019 and took his first professional win less than a month later.
He reached a career high 12th in the world in October 2020 with seven top-10 finishes, including runner-up at the US Open and fourth at the PGA Championship.
Since then though, Wolff’s form and game have fallen away and he is currently 77th in the Official World Golf Ranking. OWGR.
Maiden outing
World ranked No. 2 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.
Spain’s top amateur, Chacarra made 14 collegiate starts in 2021-22, winning three times with six further top-six finishes.
Ortiz, winner of four professional tournaments worldwide, has been a standout since turning pro in 2014.
He has spent 80 weeks 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 in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021.
“Our impressive roster of LIV golfers continues to grow with incredible young talent and international stars,” said Greg Norman, CEO and Commissioner of LIV Golf.
“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.
Consistent pro
“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
“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.”
The Portland field will showcase nine of the last 21 major winners, four former world no. 1 players and nearly half of its competitors currently ranked in the top 100, LIV Golf said.
The field represents 12 different countries and a combined 20 major titles, as well as upcoming talent.
Players will compete for $25 million and the chance to become the second individual and team champions for LIV Golf, with squads set to be named soon.
Also read: Brooks Koepka set to join LIV ranks along with Mexico star Ancer
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