Keeping it simple and mistake-free was enough for Colombia’s Nico Echavarria in the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.
Echavarria played a steady final round of 5-under-par 66 and benefited from late struggles from Ireland’s Shane Lowry to win the tournament Sunday at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
“I had some good breaks,” Echavarria said. “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, who trailed by three strokes on the backside, turned in a total score of 17-under 267 at PGA National’s Champion Course for his first PGA Tour victory since 2024 and his third overall. He held a two-stroke edge on Lowry, Austin Smotherman and Taylor Moore.
Lowry, who posted 68, appeared heading toward a victory until double-bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 cost him. His tee shots on both holes ended up in the water.
“I had the tournament in my hands, and I threw it away,” Lowry said.
Until then, he was 6 under for the round without a bogey.
The first double-bogey allowed Echavarria, who was in the process of notching a birdie on No. 17, to pull even. The next series of miscues handed Echavarria the lead.
“I played unbelievable all day, and one bad shot on 16 completely threw me for the last three holes,” Lowry said.
Echavarria, who was without a bogey Sunday, was in the group ahead of Lowry, but he was aware there was trouble developing behind him. After Echavarria’s tee shot on No. 18, he and his caddie acknowledged that Lowry might be facing more difficulties.
“I think he hit it in the water again,” Echavarria recalled of the conversation. “It was more playing smart, getting a 5 (for par on No. 18) out of there and just getting out of here.”
Before the tournament, Lowry expressed his disappointment in the course set-up becoming easier in recent years for the PGA Tour event. He took advantage until the final holes. When he began Sunday’s backside with an eagle on the par-5 10th hole, he appeared in control.
In a strange way, it’s a hometown victory for Echavarria, who with his wife closed on a home in Palm Beach Gardens just a few days earlier.
Moore also shot 68. Smotherman, who began the round tied for the lead with Lowry, had a birdie on the last hole to register 69.
Moore finished with the second-best finish of his career.
“I was happy to put four rounds together,” Moore said. “It’s been a little while for me since I’ve done that, and I just was really pleased with how I regrouped after No. 6 (with a bogey) and played some solid golf coming in.”
Ricky Castillo, with a final-round 68, finished fifth at 13 under.
Brooks Koepka had a notable final day as his 65 was tied for the best score of the round.
“Finally found some confidence,” Koepka said. “I think that’s the one thing that’s been lacking.”
Sinking a shot from the greenside bunker on No. 14 certainly helped. The result was Koepka’s best finish – a ninth-place tie at 10 under – in three events since returning to the PGA Tour this winter.
“Once you get inside the ropes, it feels natural,” Koepka said. “I think it’s easier once you get inside those ropes.”
Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard also had 65, putting him at 11 under in a sixth-place tie with William Mouw (67) and Keith Mitchell (68).
“I’m really happy that I made a good jump on the weekend,” Hojgaard said. “Didn’t feel great about the game the first couple of days, so to find something (Saturday), or at least grind out a good score, and then play really, really well today was nice.”
— Field Level Media
