Echavarria Capitalizes On Lowry Collapse To Win Cognizant Classic

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA – MARCH 1: Shane Lowry tees off from 17th hole during the final round of the Cognizant Classic 2026 at PGA National Resort And Spa on March 1, 2026 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Michael Pimentel/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

ISI Photos via Getty Images

Nico Echavarria rose from the ashes of a Shane Lowry collapse to win the Cognizant Classic by two shots in a final round that included multiple multi-shot lead changes.

Lowry held a three-shot lead heading into the 13th hole before making back-to-back double bogeys on holes 16 and 17, erasing his advantage and resulting in a final-round 69. Echavarria, meanwhile, shot 2-under par on the back nine, highlighted by a two-shot swing on 16 and a three-shot swing on 17.

“It was a blessing today,” Echavarria said on NBC. “I didn’t have my best off the tee, but I was able to manage … To win out here, sometimes you have to have good breaks. You’re not Scottie Scheffler that hits it every time in the perfect place. So I’m happy with how it went.”

Source: Yahoo Sports

Echavarria showed perseverance in his bogey-free round of 66. He went 3-for-3 scrambling, made 84 feet, 7 inches of putts in his final round, and capitalized in both strokes gained: approach to green and strokes gained: off the tee, ranking 14th and 27th respectively. He also played the infamous “Bear Trap” at PGA National Resort in 1-under par. The three-hole stretch (15, 16 and 17) includes two par threes over water and a mid-length par four with water both off the tee and on approach. The “Bear Trap” perennially plays over par, with a scoring average of +0.659, ranking as the fifth-hardest three-hole stretch on the PGA Tour.

It was in this same stretch that Lowry faltered. On 16, he hit his tee shot into the water, leading to a drop near the fairway. He then hit his fourth shot into a greenside bunker and made double bogey. On 17, Lowry sliced his tee shot into the water. His third shot finished 38 feet from the pin, and two putts later he carded another double bogey.

“I’m obviously extremely disappointed,” Lowry said after his final-round 69. “I had the tournament in my hands, and I threw it away. What more can I say? That’s twice this year now so far. I’m getting good at it.”

Source: Sports Illustrated

Lowry’s difficulties persist at PGA National, where he placed third three times between 2022 and 2024. In last year’s Cognizant Classic, he finished 11th.

“The unraveling, it’s uncharacteristic of Shane,” runner-up Taylor Moore said. “Major champion, but it’s just a testament to what this game is like. You have to stay in it for 72 holes. That’s why I might have been six back or four back, five back — but that’s why this stretch of holes coming down are so exciting. I got to watch Nico’s putt and the fist pump from the tee on 17. I don’t know what he’s doing, hitting it right of that pin, but that’s pretty sick.”

Source: Sports Illustrated

Echavarria wins $1,782,000, moves up to sixth in FedEx Cup points and secures his PGA Tour card for another year. It is Echavarria’s first win since the 2024 Zozo Championship.