Nico Echavarria wins for the third time on the PGA Tour and for the first time on the U.S. mainland.
MIKE EHRMANN, GETTY IMAGES
The 15th, 16th and 17th holes on PGA National Resort’s Champion Course aren’t called the Bear Trap for nothing. Through 15 holes, Shane Lowry had a three-stroke lead at the Cognizant Classic and looked like he’d coast to victory in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
But the Irishman found the water with his tee shots on the 16th and 17th holes, going 4-over par on the two holes. Instead of Lowry claiming his first individual victory on the PGA Tour since 2019, Nico Echavarria won his third title and first since 2024.
Who Else Won
KORN FERRY TOUR
Alistair Docherty
READ MORE | RESULTS
LADIES EURO TOUR
Agathe Laisne
ASIAN TOUR
Daniel Hillier
“It was a blessing today,” Echavarria said. “I didn’t have my best off the tee but I was able to manage and had some good breaks to win. To win out here sometimes you have to have good breaks.”
Echavarria shot 17-under (63-72-66-66) and finished two strokes clear of Lowry, Taylor Moore and Austin Smotherman. Going into the tournament, Echavarria had missed the cut in four of five starts in 2026. Trailing the leaders by a stroke starting the final round, Echavarria fired his third bogey-free round of the week and came out on top.
It was an extra-special victory for the 31-year-old Colombian, who closed on a house in Palm Beach Gardens with his wife, Claudia, on Friday.
“I told her on Monday and I told … my financial advisor, that I was going to win this week,” Echavarria said. “I told them that [my game] was feeling good. I was glad I’m out of the poa greens. I was hitting the ball good, and here we are. We’re getting a dog, too. I promised after the third win was a dog.”
On Sunday, it quickly became a four-player race for the championship between the eventual champion and runners-up. After Lowry made a 45-foot putt for his first birdie of the day on No. 5, all four shared the lead.
The par-4 sixth hole proved pivotal. While Echavarria made par, Moore hit his pitch shot in the water, made double bogey and found himself two strokes off the 14-under lead.
In the final group, Lowry made a 19-foot putt to save par and remained tied for the lead. Smotherman couldn’t match Lowry’s par save and dropped one back.
After Echavarria made a 19-foot birdie putt on No. 8 to move ahead, Lowry chipped in for birdie from the fringe on No. 9 to tie him for the lead at 15-under.
Echavarria made birdie on the par-5 10th hole to take the lead again, but Lowry more than matched the Colombian. The Irishman made a 15-foot eagle putt to take the solo lead at 17-under. Subsequent back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th holes expanded Lowry’s lead to three.
Shane Lowry found the water on Nos. 16 and 17.
RAJ MEHTA, GETTY IMAGES
Lowry had a cushion going into the Bear Trap, but his tee shot on the 16th hole with an iron found the water on the right. After a lay-up and a poor approach shot, Lowry managed to get up-and-down for double bogey from a greenside bunker. His lead over Echavarria became one with two holes to play.
Then Echavarria struck. On the par-3 17th hole, he almost found the water with his tee shot but was instead left with a 10-foot birdie putt, which he canned to tie Lowry for the lead.
“I’m glad that ball on 17 stayed up,” Echavarria said.
Then Lowry found the water again at 17 and made another double bogey, the first time he had double-bogeyed back-to-back holes in his PGA Tour career. Echavarria’s par on 18 clinched victory.
The result was difficult for Lowry to swallow, but he said he has no choice but to move on and get ready to play the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week.
“I’m obviously extremely disappointed,” Lowry said. “I had the tournament in my hands, and I threw it away. What more can I say? That’s twice this year now so far. I’m getting good at it. I played unbelievable all day, and one bad shot on 16 completely threw me for the last three holes.”
The victory earned Echavarria a spot in the field for this week’s signature event at Bay Hill. Moore, Smotherman and Keith Mitchell (T6) also qualified.
Everett Munez
