Austin Eckroat carded a final-round 67 for a 17-under, 267 total to win his first PGA Tour title in his fiftieth start at the Cognizant Classic. The American held a one-stroke lead when play was suspended due to darkness on Sunday and completed eleven holes on Monday in 2-under.
“I’m really not sure how I feel yet. I haven’t really settled down. But just super excited and been waiting for this moment my whole life, and I don’t really have a whole lot of words for it right now. But super excited.”
Eckroat recorded four top-10s in 32 starts during his rookie season on Tour in 2022-23. His previous-best finish was T2 at the 2023 CJ CUP Byron Nelson.
“You can’t really visualize what it will be messing around when you’re a kid on the putting green having putts to win PGA Tour events and win the Masters and stuff like that.
“But coming into today, I’ve been in this situation before at the Byron Nelson where I had a lead. I didn’t really know what to expect what the feeling would be. I knew finishing second was heartbreaking. I’m not real sure. I still don’t think I’m sure how I feel yet. I know I’m excited. That’s it.”
South African Erik van Rooyen, who finished with a final-round 63 featuring six consecutive birdies from the first hole on Sunday, finished tied for second at 14-under.
Australia’s Min Woo Lee carded a 67 including his second eagle of the week at the par-5 10th hole to tie for second place, his best finish in his 34th career start on Tour, he had previously finished T5 at the 2023 U.S. Open.) Lee earned his card through top-125 non-member points in 2022-23 after accepting Special Temporary Membership following a T18 at the 2023 PGA Championship.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry double bogeyed the par-3 15th and closed with a 71 for a share of fourth place at 13-under alongside Korean K.H. Lee (66) and Americans Cameron Young (66) and Jake Knapp (66), last week’s winner at the Mexico Open at Vidanta.
The top 10 players in the FedExCup standings through the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, not otherwise exempt, qualified for the Arnold Palmer Invitational via the Aon Next 10. Additionally, the five players, not otherwise exempt, who earned the most FedExCup points at the Mexico Open at Vidanta and the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches also qualified for the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard via the Aon Swing 5.
