Shane Lowry suffered a significant downturn on Sunday afternoon at PGA National.
Shane Lowry, who had a three-shot advantage in the later stages, ultimately faltered in the final moments, allowing Nico Echavarria to seize victory at the Cognizant Classic. Lowry finished the last round with a score of 2-under 69 but suffered consecutive double bogeys towards the end, which led to his downfall at what is now considered his local tournament. This misstep provided Echavarria the opportunity to claim the title instead.
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Echavarria, who began the day just one stroke behind the leader, recorded a flawless 66 to reach 17-under for the tournament. He also avoided any bogeys throughout the entire weekend. This performance earned him a two-stroke victory over the competition and a prize of $1.728 million.
"Today was truly a gift," Echavarria remarked on NBC. "I didn't have my best performance off the tee, but I managed to get through … To succeed out here, you sometimes need a bit of luck. You're not Scottie Scheffler, who consistently lands it in the ideal spot. So I'm pleased with how things turned out."
Shane Lowry began Sunday tied for the lead after an impressive bogey-free 63 on Saturday, bringing his total to 13-under for the tournament. Although he had a slow start in the final round, Lowry gained momentum after the turn. He made a birdie at No. 9, finishing his front nine at 2-under, then hit his approach shot to the pin on the par-5 10th and converted a long eagle putt to take a one-shot advantage.
Following that, he achieved consecutive birdies to reach 5-under over a span of five holes, which unexpectedly gave Lowry a three-shot advantage over the competition. However, that lead was short-lived. Lowry’s drive on the par-4 16th found the water on the right side of the fairway, resulting in a double bogey after he also ended up in a bunker near the green. This marked Lowry’s first bogey or worse in 35 holes, effectively erasing his lead. Echavarria birdied the 17th hole just before Lowry, leveling the score and creating a three-shot shift.
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Lowry sent his tee shot on the par-3 17th far to the right and into the water as well. This resulted in a double bogey, marking the first occasion in his Tour career that Lowry has recorded consecutive double bogeys. In an instant, Echavarria found himself leading by two strokes.
Echavarria secured his par on the 18th hole, ultimately clinching a two-shot victory. Lowry also made par on the final hole to conclude his round. He finished tied for second alongside Taylor Moore and Austin Smotherman.
Echavarria has achieved victory three times on the PGA Tour throughout his career. At 31 years old, his most recent triumph was at the Zozo Championship in 2024. This week marked only the second occasion in six appearances this season that he made the cut, although he secured a T8 finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
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Since his victory at the British Open in 2019, Shane Lowry has not secured a solo title on the Tour. Although he triumphed at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2024, that win was achieved alongside Rory McIlroy. Throughout his career, he has claimed three Tour victories and has also earned six titles on the DP World Tour.
Here’s an overview of the earnings for Echavarria, Lowry, and the other competitors from this week’s Cognizant Classic.
The Payouts for the Cognizant Classic in 2026
T56. Emiliano Grillo, Chan Kim, Adrien Saddier — $22,176 earned
59. Tom Kim — $21,792 earned
T60. Adam Schenk, Davis Thompson —$21,504
62. Billy Horschel — $21,216 earned
T63. Jackson Suber, John Parry, Chandler Phillips — $20,832
66. Dylan Wu — $20,448
67. Joe Highsmith — $20,256