University of North Texas Athletics
UNT Golf Alumni Preparing For PGA Championship
8/4/2020 3:12:00 PM | Men's Golf
SAN FRANCISCO - A pair of UNT men's golf alumni are having their most successful years on the PGA Tour, and now former Mean Green teammates Carlos Ortiz and Sebastian Munoz will be playing in a major championship together for the first time in their careers.
The former Mean Green standouts will play at the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco beginning Thursday, when Ortiz will tee off at 9:33 a.m., and be paired with Russell Henley and Erik van Rooyen. Munoz will be teeing off at 4:42 p.m., and will be paired with Justin Bertsch and Benjamin Hebert.
Ortiz graduated from UNT in 2013 and was the 2011 Sun Belt individual champion and a four-time all-conference selection. He's currently ranked No. 42 in the FedEx Cup standings and has won just more than $1.5 million this season on the Tour. Munoz graduated in 2015, when he claimed the Conference USA individual championship. He's ranked No. 15 in the FedEx Cup standings and notched his first Tour victory earlier this season when he won the Sanderson Farms Championship back in the fall. He has just shy of $2.5 million in earnings this season. They each have three top-10 finishes this season.
Ortiz made his major debut in the 2016 U.S. Open and also played in the 2019 U.S. Open. Munoz played in his first major at the 2017 British Open and also played in the 2018 U.S. Open, but both will be making their PGA Championship debuts.
UNT sophomore Cameron Harlock said having two recent Mean Green golfers excelling on the PGA Tour is a plus for the program and shows current players what it takes to have success at the highest level.
"To look at the history of the program and to have two established PGA Tour players recently is as good as most, if not all, colleges around," Harlock said. "It gives me the confidence to know that coach (Brad) Stracke knows the level of player on and off the course that we need to be in order to be successful on a main tour. To be able to learn from those guys and watch them practice at Maridoe is crucial. All of the little things you pick up can make such a big difference in today's game. To know that we are on the same path as them creates such a competitive environment in qualifying and tournaments."
"Carlos and Sebastian continue to improve their games and make us all proud here at UNT," Stracke added. "I'm looking forward to watching them compete for a major championship this week."
The former Mean Green standouts will play at the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco beginning Thursday, when Ortiz will tee off at 9:33 a.m., and be paired with Russell Henley and Erik van Rooyen. Munoz will be teeing off at 4:42 p.m., and will be paired with Justin Bertsch and Benjamin Hebert.
Ortiz graduated from UNT in 2013 and was the 2011 Sun Belt individual champion and a four-time all-conference selection. He's currently ranked No. 42 in the FedEx Cup standings and has won just more than $1.5 million this season on the Tour. Munoz graduated in 2015, when he claimed the Conference USA individual championship. He's ranked No. 15 in the FedEx Cup standings and notched his first Tour victory earlier this season when he won the Sanderson Farms Championship back in the fall. He has just shy of $2.5 million in earnings this season. They each have three top-10 finishes this season.
Ortiz made his major debut in the 2016 U.S. Open and also played in the 2019 U.S. Open. Munoz played in his first major at the 2017 British Open and also played in the 2018 U.S. Open, but both will be making their PGA Championship debuts.
UNT sophomore Cameron Harlock said having two recent Mean Green golfers excelling on the PGA Tour is a plus for the program and shows current players what it takes to have success at the highest level.
"To look at the history of the program and to have two established PGA Tour players recently is as good as most, if not all, colleges around," Harlock said. "It gives me the confidence to know that coach (Brad) Stracke knows the level of player on and off the course that we need to be in order to be successful on a main tour. To be able to learn from those guys and watch them practice at Maridoe is crucial. All of the little things you pick up can make such a big difference in today's game. To know that we are on the same path as them creates such a competitive environment in qualifying and tournaments."
"Carlos and Sebastian continue to improve their games and make us all proud here at UNT," Stracke added. "I'm looking forward to watching them compete for a major championship this week."
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
Friday, November 04