Torque GC feels like family. That’s what Carlos Ortiz keeps saying. And watching a family member struggle hits differently than watching any other competitor.

Mito Pereira couldn’t escape the LIV Golf Drop Zone in 2025. He finished 51st in the standings, ending his two-year run with the league. Ortiz opened up about his teammate’s relegation and his own comeback story on the Flushing It Golf podcast with host Tom Hobbs in November 2025. The conversation revealed a perspective most struggling golfers never share publicly.

The Chilean managed just one points finish all season, a T13 at Chicago that earned him 4.5 points. Meanwhile, his teammates thrived. Joaquin Niemann finished 2nd. Sebastian Muñoz grabbed 4th place. Ortiz landed 8th in his best LIV season yet. The irony stung even harder in Indianapolis. Torque GC won the team event while Pereira finished T36. That result sealed his relegation. Still, he showed pure class.

“To be honest, I was really happy for Sebastian, really happy for Joaco, really happy for Carlos,” Pereira said after the final round. “It’s never easy to play bad, but I tried. I gave my best and we move on. Hopefully I’ll have more opportunities in the future.”

Ortiz watched it all unfold. He knew exactly how Pereira felt. Because back in 2016, Ortiz lived through his own relegation nightmare. After two seasons on the PGA Tour, he lost his card. The 2015 season saw him finish 93rd in the FedEx Cup—just enough to keep playing. But 2016 went sideways. He fell short of retaining his status. The Korn Ferry Tour beckoned.

“We’re like a family, so you don’t ever want to see a friend of yours struggling like that.”

Most players view the Korn Ferry as a demotion. Some never recover. Ortiz sees it differently now. He spent two years grinding through the developmental tour from 2017 to 2018. During that stretch, he made 36 of 47 cuts. He posted 11 top-25 finishes in 2018 alone. Then he earned his PGA Tour card back.

“Korn Ferry was the best thing that happened to me. When you’re having a bad time, that really shows you what you’re made of.”

That perspective comes from experience. Ortiz won three Korn Ferry events in 2014. He earned Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year honors. That success brought instant promotion to the PGA Tour. Yet losing it all in 2016 taught him more than any victory could. “Those moments is what really shows you what you’re made of and those moments is where it tests you if you’re really prepared or not,” he explained.

The numbers back up his philosophy. After returning in 2018, he won the 2020 Vivint Houston Open, becoming the first Mexican to win on the PGA Tour since 1978. His career earnings jumped. Now at LIV Golf, he finished 8th in the 2025 season with 99.25 points. He also posted a career-best T4 at the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont. That marked the best major finish ever by a Mexican golfer.

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LIV Golf and PGA Tour relegation systems expose players weekly

Golf tests players every single week. The relegation systems across tours prove it. LIV Golf’s structure divides players into three zones. The top 24 land in the Lock Zone—guaranteed contracts for next season. Places 25-48 fall into the Open Zone—they become free agents if contracts expire. Finish 49th or lower? That’s the Drop Zone. Relegation follows automatically.

The system shows no mercy. Even major champions aren’t safe. Henrik Stenson joined the relegation list after finishing 49th, despite winning the 2016 Open Championship. Andy Ogletree landed at 50th. Yubin Jang finished 53rd. Frederik Kjettrup and Anthony Kim tied at 55th. Kim never earned a single point across 23 LIV events over two seasons.

Compare that to the PGA Tour’s setup. Currently, 125 players retain full cards based on FedEx Cup standings. That number drops to 100 in 2026—the first reduction since 1983. But here’s the difference. On the PGA Tour, roughly 80% of cardholders keep their status. In LIV Golf, only 44% get guaranteed spots in the Lock Zone. The math makes LIV’s system significantly harsher.

“You get tested every week and you get exposed every week. You can’t afford to really have one bad season and you’re relegated.”

Ortiz understands both sides now. He lost his PGA Tour card. He watched Pereira lose his LIV spot. The emotional toll weighs heavily. Professional golfers face unique stressors, including extended periods away from their families, financial insecurity, and intense performance pressure. Research on Challenge Tour players found that 51.7% experienced psychological distress. That’s three times higher than the general population. Another 10.3% showed depression symptoms.

“You can’t afford to be distracted,” Ortiz warned. “You can’t afford to really have one bad season and you’re relegated. It just shows you how sharp you have to be, how delicate you have to be with your changes, with your atmosphere around, with your confidence.”

The path forward exists. Pereira can return through the International Series or LIV’s promotions tournament. The system allows comebacks. But it demands resilience. Ortiz proved that to himself. From Korn Ferry struggles to LIV success. From losing everything to finding it meant more.

“It can happen to anyone,” Ortiz said. “It can happen to someone every year.”