Two costly tee shots by Shane Lowry enabled Nico Echavarria to come from three shots down with three holes to play and win the Cognizant Classic.
Echavarria, 31, of Colombia, claimed his third career PGA Tour title by firing a bogey-free 5-under-par 66 for a 17-under total.
Lowry, who was cruising along at 6 under for his round, made back-to-back double bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes to finish tied for second place with Austin Smotherman and Taylor Moore at 15 under.
“I didn’t think it was going to be possible (to win) with the three-shot lead that he had,” Echavarria said. “It was a blessing today. I didn’t have my best off the tee, but I was able to manage. I had some good breaks.
“To win out here, sometimes you have to have good breaks if you’re not Scottie Scheffler that hits it every time in the perfect place. So, I’m happy with how it went.”
Echavarria earned $1.73 million. His previous victories were the 2023 Puerto Rico Open and the 2024 ZOZO Championship in Japan.
The Bear Trap Snares Lowry
Lowry appeared to have the victory on the Champion Course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., all but locked up when he came to the Bear Trap, one of the toughest three-hole stretches on the PGA Tour, with a three-shot lead.
After making a solid par on the par-3 15th, Lowry hit an iron on the 16th tee and pushed it well right of land and into the water. After taking a penalty drop, he hit his third shot into a greenside bunker and made a nice up and down for a double bogey and a one-shot lead over Echavarria.
Echavarria had a Bear Trap scare on his tee shot to the par-3 17th, but the ball just cleared the water to make it on to the front of the green
“When that ball on 17 came up and it was pushed and the wind was taking it, I lost a lot of pounds,” Echavarria said. “The good thing is it was hit solid, so the push carried enough, but it didn’t even pitch on the green. It pitched a few inches off the green.”
And it left Echavarria with a relatively easy birdie putt, which he quickly converted to move into a tie with Lowry at 17 under.
Lowry, who watched Echavarria’s tying putt from the tee box, hit his tee shot far to the right into the water. His third shot from the drop area landed in the middle of the green and he two-putted from 35 feet for another double bogey.
After Echavarria parred the par-5 18th hole, Lowry needed to eagle it to tie. He hit a good drive but his 242-yard second shot landed in a greenside bunker. His sand shot looked like it had a chance, but it rolled past the hole, settling 10 feet away.
“I’m obviously extremely disappointed,” Lowry said. “I had the tournament in my hands, and I threw it away. What more can I say?
“I played unbelievable all day, and one bad shot on 16 completely threw me for the last three holes. It’s never happened to me before. I just couldn’t feel the club face the last three holes after my tee shot on 16. It was strange.”
Koepka has his Best Tournament
Hometown favorite Brooks Koepka, who grew up in West Palm Beach and lives in nearby Jupiter, had his best tournament since returning to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf. After struggling with his putting and opening with a 3-over 74 to put himself in danger of missing the cut, Koepka got a putting lesson from his coach Pete Cowen. The next day he birdied four of his first five holes to come back with a 5-under 66 to easily make the cut. He added rounds of 69 and 65 to finish in a tie for ninth at 10 under, his best finish in three tournaments this year.
Max McGreevy made an albatross on the 540-yard par-5 third hole Sunday. After a 292-yard drive, McGreevy hit his second shot 246 yards to the green and the ball never wavered as it rolled into the hole. It was the first double-eagle at PGA National in the 20 years that the tournament, formerly the Honda Classic, has been held on the Champion Course.
Stars Head to Arnie’s Place
Two-time past winner Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked golfer, is back for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a signature event at the Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Fla.
He’ll be joined by defending champion and No. 7-ranked Russell Henley, along with No. 2 Rory McIlroy and No. 3 Tommy Fleetwood.
