Pure Drama at the Cognizant Classic: Lowry Experiences Nightmare Finish, Echavarria Triumphs!
What a finish at the Cognizant Classic! Shane Lowry once again endured true drama on Sunday. With two late double bogeys, the Irishman squandered the victory, practically serving it on a silver platter to Nico Echavarria.
Lowry, the 2019 Open Champion and currently ranked 31st in the world, already had his sights firmly set on a fourth PGA Tour title. After an eagle and four birdies on the first 13 holes, he still held a three-shot lead after the 15th. The golf world held its breath – it looked like a stunning round!
But then disaster struck: On the 16th and 17th, his tee shots each landed in the water. Double bogeys were the bitter consequence. For Colombia's Echavarria, who played a bogey-free weekend, this was the perfect setup for his third PGA Tour title.
“I had the tournament in my hand and threw it away. This is the second time this year,” lamented Lowry, whose double bogey on the 72nd hole at the Dubai Invitational had already helped Nacho Elvira to victory. “I’m getting good at it,” he added with bitter sarcasm.
Lowry had just come off the 16th, his lead having shrunk to one shot, when Echavarria, in the penultimate group, placed his tee shot on the par-3 17th dangerously close to the water, just ten feet from the flag, and holed the birdie to tie. The Irishman then messed up the 17th himself and suddenly found himself two shots back. The mindset had shifted – and not in Lowry’s favor.
“I’m glad the ball stayed dry on the 17th,” said Echavarria. “My caddie told me: ‘Hey, it’s over, the ball is safe. You have the easiest putt you can have, straight uphill. Let’s make it.’ And that was exactly the mindset.”
Lowry admitted that he had “played incredibly well all day,” but “a single misstep on the 16th completely derailed the last three holes. That has never happened to me before.”
“Man, this will be hard to swallow,” he added. “Dubai was tough at the start of the year, but this will be even tougher.” The Irishman was devastated that he couldn't celebrate the victory with his four-year-old daughter. After the 16th, despite the double bogey, he had still been confident, believing he could salvage a 6 and still lead by one shot. But then he saw Echavarria’s birdie to tie, and his own tee shot on the 17th went awry. “Golf sometimes does really strange things to you, and today it definitely did that to me,” he concluded.
Any hope of a playoff with an eagle on the par-5 18th melted away like snow in the sun when Lowry’s approach shot landed in the greenside bunker. In the end, he signed for a round of 69 (two under par) and finished tied for second with Smotherman and Taylor Moore at 15 under 269.
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