Eckroat holds off Lee to win the PGA Cognizant Classic
After a Monday resumption, Austin Eckroat held off Australia's Min Woo Lee over the final holes to win the storm-delayed Cognizant Classic, his first PGA Tour title.
The 25-year-old American finished with three birdies, a bogey, and seven pars Monday at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for a four-under par 67.
That left overnight leader Eckroat on 17-under 267 for 72 holes, good enough for a three-stroke victory over Australia's Lee and South African Erik van Rooyen in the PGA's first Monday finish since Pebble Beach in 2017.
"It's crazy," Eckroat said. "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 Korean Lee Kyoung-hoon finished fourth with 271, alongside Americans Jake Knapp and Cameron Young, England's David Skinns, and Ireland's Shane Lowry.
Eckroat's best PGA Tour result over 49 starts was a runner-up finish at the Byron Nelson last May.
"It's not a fun finish whenever you have to hold onto a lead," Eckroat said. "Then the adversity of sleeping mid-round. Just really happy with how I handled it."
Eckroat was 15-under after seven holes and held a one-stroke lead over clubhouse leader van Rooyen when darkness fell Sunday, leaving 26 players to finish their final round on Monday after Sunday's storms halted play for 3 1/2 hours.
"I knew I had a lot of work to go," Eckroat said. "It wasn't a comfortable position."
Lee made a morning charge with an eagle at the par-5 10th, reaching the green in two and sinking an eight-foot putt, and added a seven-foot birdie putt at 12 to finish 14-under, one behind the leader.
After four morning pars, Eckroat sank birdies at 12 and 13 to reach 17-under, increasing his lead to three strokes.
"From the first hole I was shaking," Eckroat said. "I was nervous all day long. It was because we had the break. It really made me think on it a while. But I was able to keep swinging well, just my processes and it all worked out well."
At 14, Eckroat blasted out of a bunker to six feet but missed the par putt, bringing Lee within two shots.
Eckroat responded by making a birdie putt at 16 to reclaim his three-stroke lead and parring in for the win.
"I just kept telling myself that I put myself in this position for a reason, it's what I want to do and I was just happy I was able to perform under the situation," Eckroat said.
Lee, a three-time European Tour winner who also won last year's Asian Tour Macao Open, settled for his best PGA Tour performance. The 25-year-old from Perth improved on his tie for fifth at last year's US Open.
"To finish like that and to start after the rain delay like that, really good moment, and pat on the back," Lee said. "Was a really proud moment today."
Knapp, last week's Mexico Open winner, was third on 13-under after 15 holes but couldn't close the gap, finishing with three morning pars.
"Didn't hit great golf shots at the restart but I was happy with how I managed everything this week," Knapp said.
Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion, and Skinns tied for the 54-hole lead with Eckroat but only managed 71s in the final round.
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