Shane Lowry surrendered a three-shot lead with consecutive double-bogeys at the 16th and 17th, handing Nico Echavarria the Cognizant Classic title in Florida.
Lowry, who had been joint overnight leader after a bogey-free 63 on Saturday, looked in control after four birdies and an eagle through 13 holes. But errant tee shots that found the water at the par‑4 16th and the par‑3 17th produced back-to-back doubles, wiping out his advantage and dropping him into a three-way tie for second.
Visibly upset, Lowry said he felt the tournament was within his grasp and blamed two poorly timed shots for the collapse. He reflected on how unusual the turn of events was after playing so well for most of the day and compared the disappointment to past highs and lows in his career.
Echavarria carded a 66 in the final round to finish 17 under and claim his third PGA Tour victory, capping a bogey-free weekend for the Colombian. He described the win as a blessing, saying that while his driving wasn’t at its best he managed the course well and benefitted from a few breaks when it mattered — a note of good fortune he contrasted with the consistency of top players like Scottie Scheffler.
Lowry finished at 15 under alongside Americans Austin Smotherman, who had shared the overnight lead, and Taylor Moore.
Brooks Koepka climbed the leaderboard with a course‑best 65 as he builds form after returning from LIV Golf. Koepka said he’s played solidly over the last few days, has improved his short game and putter, and that a small swing tweak on Thursday helped restore confidence.
England’s best results came from Jordan Smith and Aaron Rai, who tied for 23rd after Smith shot a 68 in the final round.