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Lowry's Heartbreak at Cognizant Classic

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Nico Echavarria
Echavarria wins cognizant classic as Lowry collapses

Nico Echavarria claims third PGA Tour title after Shane Lowry's late double bogeys hand him victory.


Shane Lowry's 3-shot lead evaporates with back-to-back double bogeys, handing win to Nico Echavarria...


Nico Echavarria snatched the Cognizant Classic title after Shane Lowry's agonizing collapse, with back-to-back double bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes handing Echavarria the win. Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion, had a commanding 3-shot lead with 3 holes to play, but Echavarria's clutch birdie on the 17th put him ahead, securing his 3rd PGA Tour title.


Echavarria, who didn't make a bogey all weekend, shot a 5-under 66 to finish at 17-under 267, beating Lowry, Austin Smotherman, and Taylor Moore by 2 strokes. Lowry, disappointed by his collapse, said he “threw it away“ and was heartbroken, especially since he wanted to win for his 4-year-old daughter.


He struggled with water trouble off the tee at 16 and 17, doubling bogey both holes. Meanwhile, Colombia's Echavarria reaped the rewards of a bogey-free round, snatching his third PGA Tour title.


“I had the tournament in my hands, and I threw it away. That's twice this year now so far,” said Lowry, whose double bogey at the 72nd hole at the Dubai Invitational opened the door for Spain's Nacho Elvira to win. “I'm getting good at it.”


Lowry's lead dwindled to one on 16, and disaster struck on 17. Echavarria, playing ahead, nearly splashed in his tee shot but left it 10 feet out – and made the putt for birdie. Lowry's struggles continued as he bogeyed 17, suddenly trailing by two.

The pressure mounted, and Lowry's chances slipped away. Echavarria seized the moment, securing his third PGA Tour win. 


“I'm glad that ball on 17 stayed up,” Echavarria said. “My caddie told me, 'Hey, it's over, the ball is safe. You have the easiest putt you can have, straight up the hill, so let's make this putt, and that was the mindset.


“It switched right away,” he said.


Lowry acknowledged that after he played “unbelievable all day” he let one bad shot on 16 completely threw me for the last three holes.


“It's never happened to me before,” he said.


“Geez, this is going to be hard to take,” he added. “Dubai was hard at the start of the year, but this is going to be pretty hard.”




Lowry was gutted he couldn't share the win with his 4-year-old daughter. He felt confident after escaping with a six on 16, staying one ahead. But Echavarria's birdie at 17 changed everything – Lowry's tee shot at 17 went haywire.


Lowry's chances slipped away fast. He was heartbroken, saying he “threw it away.”


“Golf does strange things to you at times, and it certainly did to me today,” he said.


Lowry's hopes for a playoff ended when his approach to 18 landed in a greenside bunker. He settled for a 69, tying for second on 15-under 269 with Smotherman and Taylor Moore.


Lowry's collapse on the back nine cost him a potential win. 



Brooks Koepka's switch to a mallet putter paid off big time at the Cognizant Classic. The five-time major winner shot a final-round 65, finishing tied for ninth, his best result since returning to the PGA Tour. Koepka credited the putter adjustment for his turnaround, saying it “made a huge difference” after a disappointing first round.


Koepka's putting woes were evident earlier in the season, but the change to a TaylorMade Spider Tour X mallet seems to have freed up his game. He's ranked 15th in Strokes Gained: Putting for the week, a stark contrast to his struggles earlier this year. With confidence restored, Koepka looks poised for a strong finish to the season.


“(I) finally found some confidence. I think that's the one thing that's been lacking,” said Koepka, who will tee it up at the Players Championship March 12-15.


Koepka's feeling like it's “business as usual” on the course now that the hype around his return has died down. He's focusing on his game, and it shows – a solid T9 finish at the Cognizant Classic. 




“Once you get inside the ropes, it feels natural,” he said. “Once the first week, doing all the media stuff and getting all that out of the way, it was a huge thing for me. Now it's just a matter of going to play and build a rhythm.”





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