Nico Echavarria beats Shane Lowry to win Cognizant Classic for third PGA Tour victory
· Yahoo Sports
Nico Echavarria is back in the winner’s scircle.
The third career PGA Tour victory for Echavarria happened on Sunday at the Cognizant Classic as the PGA Tour broke ground in Florida in 2026. Nico had a win in 2023 (Puerto Rico Open) and 2024 (Baycurrent Classic) before going dry last year.
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It was the fourth overall appearance for Nico at the Cognizant specifically and this one did the charm.
Echavarria had the cleanest tournament at the Cognizant
Of all players in the field Nico had the fewest number of bogeys all week. He only made 3 and interestingly they each came in the second round. So often we focus on birdies and scoring opportunities, but minimizing damage is a big way to win PGA Tour events.
Shane Lowry was in contention and arguably should have won the tournament. He had a 3-stroke lead while sitting at 19-under with 3 holes to go. Unfortunately the Irishman finished double bogey, double bogey, par, and that was enough damage to open the door for Nico to waltz through.
On the subject of the state of Florida it should be noted that one of the Gators in the field continues to play some great golf. Ricky Castillo recorded his third top 10 finish in only 34 career starts. It is great to be a Florida Gator, indeed.
Up next for the PGA Tour is the next Signature Event of the season in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. Justin Thomas is among the most notable in the field as it marks his 2026 debut.
Buckle up.