FLORIDA — Austin Eckroat won the weather-delayed Cognizant golf Classic by three strokes to capture his first career PGA Tour title in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Eckroat was 15 under with a one-stroke lead through seven holes when play was suspended due to darkness at PGA National’s most famous course, dubbed the Champion.
“This has always been my dream to win on the PGA Tour,” Eckroat told Golf Channel.
“And just to win, I haven’t won since 2019 – it was a college event. It’s just been so long. I’m just so happy,” Eckroat added according to AP.
He added three birdies and a bogey on the back nine to card a 4-under 67 for a winning score of 17-under 267. Eckroat pocketed $1.62m after his 50th career start, his top payday by far on the circuit.
At 25, Eckroat is the youngest winner this season. With the win, he moves from No 94 to No 17 in the standings and qualifies for the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
“I just kept telling myself, ‘I’ve put myself in this position for a reason,’” Eckroat said. “This is what I want to do.”
He left PGA National when darkness stopped play with a one-stroke lead and was never caught. Back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th holes protected his lead, and a 12-footer for birdie on the par-4 16th pushed the edge out to three shots.
Eckroat laid up on the par-5 18th to protect his lead and take water out of play, knowing all he had to do was avoid disaster to finish off his first tour win in 50 career starts. He made an easy par, sealing the win.
“I was just really happy I was able to perform in the situation,” Eckroat said.
Van Rooyen had his round of 8-under 63 to finish at 14 under. Cameron Young (66), K.H. Lee (66), Shane Lowry (71), David Skinns (71) and Jake Knapp (66) all ended their rounds, all wrapping up at 13 under. K.H. Lee made three birdies in the five holes he played.
But nobody caught Eckroat, a 25-year-old who was a star at Oklahoma State before turning pro.
The season’s first major awaits him now as well. He’s going to Augusta National next month, with stops at Bay Hill and The Players along the way to Magnolia Lane.
“The adversity of sleeping mid-round, I´m just really happy with how I handled it,” said Eckroat, who became the fourth first-time winner in nine tour events this season, joining Nick Dunlap, Matthieu Pavon and Knapp.
For Knapp, last week´s winner in Mexico, he´s now had three top-five finishes in his 10 career PGA Tour starts. His earnings are up to about $2.5 million.
“I was happy with how I managed everything this week,” Knapp told Golf Channel.
Elsewhere, Hannah Green made a stunning 30-foot birdie at the final hole to clinch a one-stroke victory over Celine Boutier at the LPGA Tour´s HSBC Women´s World Championship.
Green made six birdies, three of which came in the final three holes, against one bogey in a final round 67 for a 13 under-par-275 at Sentosa Golf Club.
It was the 27-year-old Australian’s fourth LPGA title, and first since the JM Eagle LA Championship last year.
Boutier (67), who had said on Saturday she was attending Taylor Swift´s Singapore concert as `a nice way to relax´ for the final round, seemed destined to win as she pulled two strokes clear in the final stages only for Green to produce some magic of her own to take the win.
The 30-year-old Frenchwoman, who won four titles last season including wins at the Women´s Scottish Open and the Evian Championship for her first major title, finished at 12 under-par-276.
Yuna Nishimura (66) had the equal-best round of the day as her six birdies in a blemish free final round lifted her to 9-under 279 and into a four-way tie for third with Brooke Henderson (68), Mi Hyang Lee (67) and Nasa Hataoka (69).
Lydia Ko, who has 20 career wins, including two majors, shot 72 for a total of 1-over 289 and finished in a tie for 34th.
