Austin Eckroat celebrates on the 18th green after winning the Cognizant Classic, at The Palm Beaches at PGA National Resort And Spa, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on March 4.Brennan Asplen/Getty Images
Austin Eckroat waited a long time to become a winner on the PGA Tour. Another day didn’t hurt.
Eckroat got the first victory of his tour career Monday, topping Erik van Rooyen and Min Woo Lee by three shots to win the weather-delayed Cognizant Classic. Among his prizes: US$1.62-million – by far his biggest golf payday – along with tour status for two years and a trip to the Masters for the first time.
Eckroat shot a final round of four-under 67, finishing at 17-under 267.
He left PGA National on Sunday night when darkness stopped play with a one-stroke lead and was never caught. Back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th holes protected his lead, and a 12-footer for birdie on the par-four 16th pushed the edge out to three shots.
By then, it was academic. Eckroat laid up on the par-five 18th to protect his lead and take water out of play, knowing all he had to do was avoid disaster to finish off his first tour win in 50 career starts.
Van Rooyen had his round of eight-under 63 on Sunday to finish at 14 under. Cameron Young (66), K.H. Lee (66) and Jake Knapp (66) all ended their rounds on Monday, wrapping up at 13 under. K.H. Lee made three birdies in the five holes he played Monday.
But nobody caught Eckroat, a 25-year-old who was a star at Oklahoma State before turning pro.
His most memorable tour moment, before Monday, likely was last year in the final round of the U.S. Open to become the sixth player in that tournament’s history to post a nine-hole score of 29. Eckroat shot a five-under 65 and finished in a tie for 10th at three under – ensuring he’d play in this year’s U.S. Open.
The season’s first major awaits him now as well. He’s going to Augusta National next month, with stops at Bay Hill and The Players along the way to Magnolia Lane.
For Knapp, last week’s winner in Mexico, he’s now had three top-five finishes in his 10 career PGA Tour starts. His earnings are up to about US$2.5-million.
“I was happy with how I managed everything this week,” Knapp told Golf Channel.
The Monday finish was needed after a thunderstorm dumped nearly two inches of rain and brought lightning to the area Sunday afternoon, causing a 3 1/2-hour delay in the final round. Of the 68 players who made the cut, 42 finished on Sunday – so 26 returned on Monday to play somewhere between one and 13 holes.
It was a quick day for Billy Horschel. He couldn’t get to the 18th tee before the horn blew to stop play on Sunday night, meaning he had to come back and play the par-five finishing hole on Monday. He had a nine-footer for birdie, settled for par and was done in 15 minutes.
Horschel – who vaulted into the mix with six consecutive birdies on Sunday afternoon – finished at 12 under.