MIAMI – It was a “dream come true” for Austin Eckroat, as he held off Australia’s Min Woo Lee over the final holes after a Monday resumption to win the storm-interrupted Cognizant Classic for his first PGA Tour title.
The 25-year-old American made three birdies, a bogey and seven pars on March 4 to complete a four-under final round of 67 at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
That left him on 17-under 267 for 72 holes, good enough to defeat Australia’s Lee (67) and South African Erik van Rooyen (63) by three strokes in the PGA’s first Monday finish since 2023 at Pebble Beach.
“It’s crazy,” Eckroat said after he pocketed US$1.62 million (S$2.18 million) following his 50th career start on the PGA Tour, his top payday by far on the circuit.
“This has always been my dream, to win on the PGA Tour, and I haven’t won since 2019 – it was a college event – it has been so long. I’m just so happy to do it.
“This is just a dream come true.”
South Korea’s Lee Kyoung-hoon (66) shared fourth on 271 with Americans Jake Knapp (66) and Cameron Young (66), England’s David Skinns (71) and Ireland’s Shane Lowry (71).
Eckroat’s best PGA Tour result over 49 prior starts was a runner-up effort in May 2023 at the Byron Nelson.
“It’s not a fun finish whenever you have to hold onto a lead,” he said. “Then the adversity of sleeping mid-round. Just really happy with how I handled it.”
He was 15-under after seven holes and clung to a one-stroke lead over clubhouse leader van Rooyen when darkness fell on March 3, leaving 26 players to complete their final round on Monday after Sunday storms stopped play for 3½ hours.
“I knew I had a lot of work to go,” he added. “It wasn’t a comfortable position.”
Min Woo Lee, a three-time European Tour winner who also captured the Asian Tour’s Macao Open in 2023, settled for his best PGA Tour finish. The 25-year-old from Perth improved on his share of fifth at the 2023 US Open.
“To finish like that and to start after the rain delay like that, really good moment, and pat on the back,” he said.
“Was a really proud moment today.”
Meanwhile, Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, coming off his second LIV Golf victory of 2023 at the March 1-3 Jeddah event, has received a special invitation to May’s PGA Championship, according to multiple reports on March 4.
This season’s PGA Championship will be played at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, from May 16-19.
Niemann now has a spot in three of 2024’s four Majors, having received a special invitation in February to the Masters and qualifying for the British Open by winning the Australian Open in December.
American Brooks Koepka won the 2023 PGA Championship, becoming the first active LIV Golf player to capture a Major title with his triumph at Oak Hill.
LIV has other recent Major winners, including reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm of Spain and 2022 British Open champion Cameron Smith of Australia. AFP
