Colombia’s Nico Echavarria started the week on the heels of four consecutive missed cuts but closed with a 68 to reach 21-under and claim his first career PGA Tour title in 11th start. He earned a place in this week’s Players Championship and becomes fully exempt through the 2024-25 season.
Vamos, @Nicolas_Ech 🇨🇴🏆 pic.twitter.com/KVNJ5LEwED
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 6, 2023
"With the way I was playing the last couple weeks, at Honda, that course is really hard but I missed the cut by 8 or 9. At Pebble I missed it by a lot. You just, you just don't think it's going to get better until things like this week clicks and finding something on the range on Friday just changes your week.
"I think like if I wouldn't have had that practice session on Friday afternoon very late and found what I found, I don't think I would be here because it cleared my mind up. I was thinking too many things, I was on a bad spot mentally before coming to this week.
"So you just don't know when it's going to happen and that's why you have to be open minded that it can change anytime and you have to be positive about it. So here we are.
"I take a lot from this week. Obviously my first win on the PGA Tour. Very happy, very happy with Puerto Rico, it's awesome. First time here and we go out with a win. So I'm super pumped with how I - my golf game evolved and how it's going to help for the rest of the year."
“I’m very grateful that I kept pushing.”@Nicolas_Ech missed the cut in eight of his last ten starts before this week.
He's now a PGA TOUR champion @PuertoRicoOpen 🏆 pic.twitter.com/1LcpNe89DJ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 5, 2023
Akshay Bhatia of the USA birdied the final four holes for a 65, tying the low round of the day (Cody Gribble T7/-7), to finish solo-second at 19-under and gain Special Temporary Membership, affording him unlimited sponsor exemptions.
The finish marks his best in 22 starts and betters his only other top-10 finish of T9 at the 2020 Fortinet Championship.
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American rookie Carson Young, who led by three and four shots, respectively after rounds one and two, closed with back-to-back 71s in rounds three and four to finish tied for third at 16-under, his best finish in 12 starts this season.
"I'm proud of myself this week. This is my best finish by far on the PGA TOUR. I fought hard and I had a great start and I felt like I still played good today. I just didn't make some putts, didn't make some 10-footers that I really needed to make to put the pressure on. But I hit a lot of great iron shots to some tough pins today. It's a lot to build on and it's just going to give me confidence that I can win out here. Just a lot of positives, so I can't be down about it."
Compatriot Nate Lashley carded a 69 for his share of third place, his third consecutive top-10 in the event.
Rafael Campos, the lone Puerto Rico native to make the cut, finished T48 at 4-under.
