Austin Eckroat made eleven birdies and two bogeys to close with a 63 and win the World Wide Technology Championship by one shot at 24-under. This second PGA Tour title came in his 70th start at the age of 25 years, 9 months and 29 days.
“It’s just really special,” said the American. “You get that first win and you make the joke that maybe this will open the floodgates and they’re going to start flying. You know, I think that second win kind of solidifies that you can win on the PGA Tour. There’s times you can’t just say it was luck this time, I’ve done it twice. Pretty cool.
“I was never nervous today, which was really weird. Not until the very end when I chunked the chip on the 18th hole, that’s when the nerves started to come in and the shakes started to happen. Today was really, from start to finish I really wasn’t too nervous. I think I can draw back to the last time I won, I’ve already done it and it was comforting. I was expecting to be nervous when I woke up this morning and I just wasn’t.”
Eleven is the most birdies in a round he has made in his career on Tour and 63 ties his career-low score (2023 CJ Cup Byron Nelson/R3).
Eckroat started the week with one top-10 in 19 starts since his victory at the 2024 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches (6th/Wyndham Championship).
As a rookie during the 2022-23 season, he finished 74th in the final FedExCup Fall standings having earned his PGA Tour card through the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022.
Overnight co-leaders Justin Lower and Carson Young both closed with 65s, with Lower carding an eagle at the par-5 18th, and tied for second place at 23-under.
Fellow American Max Greyserman signed for a 65 to finish fourth at 22-under, his fourth top-five finish in his last six starts on Tour: (2nd/3M Open, 2nd/Wyndham Championship, T2/Zozo Championship).
“I’ve been playing some really solid golf, but need to play better golf, so that’s kind of the moral of the story. But good is good to finish near the lead, but not good enough to win so I need to play better,” said Greyserman.
“I think I need to hit a little better, give myself maybe a little better opportunities closer to the hole. I’ve been putting pretty well, but it just needs to be a little bit better. So not far off from a win and hopefully it will come soon next year.”
After entering the week No. 126 in the FedExCup Fall standings, PGA Tour rookie Joe Highsmith finished fifth at 19-under after a final-round 68 and moves to No. 112. A solo-fifth finish marks his career-high finish on Tour and third top-10 this season (T6/Puerto Rico Open, Black Desert Championship).
*
Nos. 1-50 in the FedExCup standings through the Tour Championship are locked in their positions, while Nos. 51 and beyond carry their FedExCup points into the Fall. Nos. 51-60 through the FedExCup Fall will qualify for two Signature Events in 2025: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, The Genesis Invitational. No players moved into Nos. 51-60 this week.
The Top 125 will be exempt into all Full-Field events and The Players next season and Nos. 126-150 will earn full Korn Ferry Tour status and conditional status on Tour next season.
