Tag: Austin Eckroat

Austin Eckroat torches Tiger’s track, shoots 63 to win for the second time this season at WWT Championship

Eckroat torched the Tiger Woods-designed course to the tune of nine birdies in his first 12 holes.

Austin Eckroat relaxed on Saturday night before the final round of the 2024 World Wide Technology Championship by playing video games at his hotel room. The new Call of Duty has been his latest obsession.

“That’s how I kind of take my mind off things,” he said. “You can’t think about anything else.”

Then he went out on Sunday and played video game. Eckroat reeled off nine birdies in his first 12 holes and shot 9-under 63 at El Cardonal at Diamante in Los Cabos, Mexico, to win by one stroke over Carson Young and Justin Lower and lift a trophy for the second time this season on the PGA Tour.

“Validation,” said Eckroat, who won the Cognizant Classic in March and became the seventh multi-time winner this season. “Winning twice is really special because it means you really can do it.”

Eckroat, a 25-year-old pro out of Oklahoma State, said he already had checked off the majority of his goals for this season with the exception of finishing in the top 30 and qualifying for the Tour Championship. He managed to make the top 50 to lock up his place in all of the signature events next season and had little to gain in terms of his Tour status. But unlike other pros who have been kicking back in the fall, Eckroat had the itch to keep playing.

WWTC: Leaderboard | Photos

“I can’t practice with a long-term goal in mind,” he explained. “Or I can, but it’s tough for me, I need short-term goals. I’m not a guy who can go and take a ton of time off and start working on things for next season. I need more short-term goals than taking three months off. I love to play tournament golf, that’s why I do it.”

Cabo has been good to him before. As a sophomore at Oklahoma State, he won the Cabo Collegiate in 2019 just down the road at Querencia. This week, his score improved by a stroke each of the first three days, beginning with a 68, which left him a stroke off the 54-hole lead set by Lower and Nico Echavarria, who was bidding for his second straight win. Eckroat did his best Tiger Woods imitation in the final round, making birdies at the first two holes to tie for the lead before a bogey at the third of the Woods-designed layout. But the dropped shot was a mere roadblock as Eckroat ripped off birdie on the next three holes and four in a span of five holes to turn in 5-under 31.

“Tiger definitely was my favorite player growing up, no doubt about it. Yeah, I got to watch him play at Southern Hills, I think it was the 2007 PGA Championship, so I was 8 years old. I remember watching him hit the putt at Torrey Pines. Actually, I didn’t watch that, I had my head tucked in the couch because I couldn’t watch it, I was so nervous,” Eckroat said. “To win at a place that he built, that’s just pretty cool. It’s awesome. He’s my idol, for sure.”

Eckroat kept his foot down on the pedal, notching birdies at the first three holes of the back nine and a beautiful chip to 5 feet after one of his few hiccups of the day left him under a tree at the par-5 14th.

His lead widened to as many as four strokes and he tacked on a birdie at 17.

“That’s probably some of the best golf I’ve ever played, just from the start putts were going in,” he said. “I was lights out today, I couldn’t miss.”

Eckroat rotates putters the way most people change socks and he slipped a Ping PLD DZB custom into the bag, and it did the trick. For the season, Eckroat ranked 132nd in Stokes Gained: Putting. This week? He was fourth in Putts per Green in Regulation.

“This is my first win since I was 13 years old with a different putter, which is kind of crazy,” said Eckroat, who had used a Ping Redwood D66 in all his previous victories.

A chunked chip at the last led to a bogey and meant Young, who set the course record with 61 on Friday, needed an eagle at the last to force a playoff but missed a 25-foot putt on the right.

“I played really good, just didn’t quite feel it with the putter today,” Young said.

He signed for 65 and recorded the best finish of his career, tying for second with Lower (65). Max Greyserman also closed in 65 to finish fourth and remained one of the hottest golfers on the planet, registering his fourth top-4 finish in his last six starts but still is seeking his first Tour title.

“Sunday 65s are not good enough unless you have like a four-shot lead going into the last day,” Greyserman said. “Hopefully that will come soon.”

It all came together for Eckroat, who signed for a 72-hole total of 24-under 264, earning a trip back to the Masters and claiming his second win in 70 career Tour starts.

“It’s just really special. You get that first win and you make the joke that maybe this will open the floodgates and they’re going to start flying,” he said. “You know, I think that second win kind of solidifies that you can win on the PGA Tour. You can’t just say it was luck this time, I’ve done it twice. Pretty cool.”

J.T. Poston has his own ‘Scottie’ good-luck charm among first-round takeaways from the 2024 RBC Heritage

There’s another important Scottie at Harbour Town this week.

Another week, another signature event on the PGA Tour.

The first round of the 2024 RBC Heritage is in the books, and numerous players took advantage of softer conditions at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, meaning birdies were aplenty on Thursday.

J.T. Poston holds the solo lead, and he has Scottie (no, not that one) to thank. Meanwhile, the Masters champion got off to a slow-ish start, but he finished strong after grinding through the middle of his round.

And in between, there are plenty of players crowding the top of the leaderboard with no major separation after 18 holes of play.

RBC Heritage: Photos

Here’s what you need to know from the opening round of the 2024 RBC Heritage:

There’s another important Scottie at Harbour Town this week. Katherine “Scottie” Poston, J.T. Poston’s daughter, who was born March 20, is with Poston for the first time since she was born. Along with wife Kelly, the Postons are off to a great start on Hilton Head Island.

Poston opened in 8-under 63 on Thursday to take the solo lead at the RBC Heritage. The 63 is the fifth time Poston has opened in 63 during a Tour event since the 2016-17 season, tied with Jordan Spieth for the most during that span. He had nine birdies and a lone blemish on the card to complete a stellar opening round.

“Maybe that has something to do with it. Maybe she’s a good luck charm,” Poston said of his daughter. “It’s been great. It’s definitely an adjustment. I think my wife and I were figuring it out. My mom is here. She’s helping us out, too. So we’ve got plenty of help. We’re just kind of figuring it out. But it’s good to have them here and sort of takes away the pressure of — I’m not worrying about golf when I’m at home. I’m trying to change diapers and take care of her.”

In the last five years at the RBC Heritage, Poston has finished in the top 10 three times while missing the cut in 2021 and 2023.

His 8-under start has opened up a two-shot lead on Seamus Power and Collin Morikawa.

He said the tournament is one he has circled on the calendar at the beginning of every year because he enjoys Harbour Town so much. Even with the extra responsibilities off the course, Poston is focused on playing strong golf on it. And he had no issues with that Thursday.

“My wife has been great,” Poston said, “She knows this is just how it is. We have to spend some time on the golf course. I’ve got to work on my game. I’ve got to stay sharp. She’s been awesome giving me the time to do that, and I’m not taking it for granted. I’m trying to be productive and get back home when I can help.”

As Austin Eckroat explains it, he was struggling with “everything” last week at Augusta National, resulting in him missing the cut.

“I came off a really good stretch, and all of a sudden I couldn’t hit the golf ball,” he said. “It’s never far away from good golf, but it’s also — you’re never that far away from struggling a little bit.”

Eckroat didn’t touch a golf club on the weekend, instead taking a spot outside the ropes as a patron on Saturday at Augusta National to get away a bit and have a different experience.

And it paid off. Eckroat’s refocused approach resulted in an opening 5-under 66 on Thursday. The winner of the Cognizant Classic earlier this season had six birdies and a lone bogey, and he said his weekend refresh contributed to the quick start.

“It was honestly a really enjoyable weekend to go and watch the Masters,” Eckroat said. “I had never done it and tried to take some notes on some guys playing well. Sunday I watched at home and then ended up driving over here and took it easy.

“I went and watched Amen Corner. That was a really cool area. I wanted to see Tiger at least hit one shot, so I watched Tiger hit his tee ball on 10 and then I just hung out on 13. We had a good spot where we could see the second shots, and it was a really cool spot.”

Theegala wants to play every week on the PGA Tour. It irritates him when he’s off because he still watches golf on TV and wonders why he isn’t in the field. But he knows that’s not possible.

He went into this year with a goal of building a smarter schedule to handle the signature events and majors better. And thus far, he feels as if it is paying off.

Theegala is in the group of players at 5 under and three back of Poston. He fired a bogey-free 66 on Thursday coming off a T-45 at the Masters last week.

“I haven’t played quite as much, and my body is thanking me,” Theegala said. “I feel like I have more energy for the bigger events, which is awesome. It’s really worked out well at the start of the year.

“I joke with my buddies all the time. I would always say I’m playing every event I get into, half-jokingly, but I was like, I’m not missing a Tour event. We’ve grinded our whole lives to get here and now I’m just going to be skipping a bunch of events. It feels weird to take it off, but I see the benefit in doing so. That’s probably been the number one answer when I’ve asked guys that have played out here for a long time, what’s their secret to the longevity. It’s really not pushing it.”

Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth were paired together for the first round of the RBC Heritage, and through five holes, Spieth was 4 under and Scheffler was 1 over. By day’s end, Scheffler nicked his fellow Longhorn and Dallas resident by a shot.

Scheffler’s incredible consistency again showed Thursday, as he opened in 2-under 69, just four days removed from his second Masters victory. Scheffler didn’t get to Harbour Town until later in the week and played only nine holes on the back side during the pro-am portion of his warm-up. Yet even after an early shank on a bunker shot that resulted in a double, Scheffler settled in and birdied Nos. 16-17 to card 2 under.

“It would have felt better if I got off to a better start, but I tried to give myself a little bit of grace there, but I got pretty frustrated towards the middle of the round because I was playing good, felt like I was hitting good putts, and my speed was maybe a touch off,” Scheffler said. “I think I was maybe too settled down to start the day. I wasn’t quite into the competition. I think maybe it was a bit of fatigue, whatever it was. But I felt like I was still kind of getting adjusted to the golf course.”

Scheffler made birdie on the par-5 second before the double on the third. He carded the second of his four birdies on the par-3 seventh and then had eight straight pars before his consecutive birdies.

In his last four starts, Scheffler has three wins and a T-2. And in that T-2, Scheffler was a couple putts away from forcing a playoff or even winning outright. He mentioned he didn’t get as much work in on the greens at Harbour Town this week, but who can blame him? He has plenty of things going on in his life, including his first child being born in the coming weeks, as well.

“I think sometimes that frustration from not playing my best I think kind of helps me focus sometimes,” Scheffler said. “You can use that as good energy and you can use that as bad energy, so I tried to use it as best I could for the good stuff today.”

Up until last week, Collin Morikawa was searching for his game. Yet for the second straight week, he looks like the player who won two major championships.

Morikawa is two shots back after an opening 65 that included seven birdies and one bogey. And a week after a T-3 at the Masters, Morikawa is in great position after the opening 18 holes at Harbour Town.

“Especially the way I’ve been playing, you never know how it’s going to be. But when you find this little rhythm and you find this kind of — just pathway, just to play golf, it’s very simple. Sometimes when you’re playing bad, you look back and you wonder why it can’t be that simple.”

Austin Eckroat’s wife made a deal to fly in late, and she saw a life-changing moment in person

Austin was asked what Sally said when she ran to him: “I couldn’t understand her. She was still crying.”

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida — Austin Eckroat had never won a PGA Tour event entering the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.

But he and his wife, Sally, who was home last week in Edmond, Oklahoma, meeting with contractors, made a deal: She would fly to Palm Beach County if Austin were in contention entering the weekend.

“After his Friday round he texted me, ‘Do you have a flight booked yet?’ ” Sally said.

Sally hopped on a plane, arriving in time Saturday for her husband’s back nine. Austin went from one shot out entering the weekend to tied for the lead after 54 holes, where he remained through a stormy Sunday that turned into Monday.

But with conditions much calmer, Eckroat started on No. 8 Monday and never relinquished that lead. In fact, he made it so comfortable he was able to play a stress-free 72nd hole, completing a 67 and four-day total 17-under 267 for his first professional win.

“I’m really not sure how I feel yet,” the 25-year-old former Oklahoma State All-American said after making his 50th start on the PGA Tour. “Been waiting for this moment my whole life.”

Winning on a Monday, with modest crowds, was appropriate for a man whose dad, Steve, says he’s so even-keeled and low-key that if he has a bad day on the course dinner “is not going to suck that night. He’s still pleasant.”

But, added, don’t misconstrue that for not having that passion. “He’s got a fire in him,” Steve said.

More: How much did each player make at the Cognizant Classic?

Eckroat, who shot a 65-67-68-67 and broke the Champion Course record for this event by three strokes, said he was the second most excited person “in the world” Monday — behind his dad.

Actually, Austin might have been the third most excited after watching Sally hurry to the green to give her husband a big hug and a kiss.

Austin was asked what she said.

“I couldn’t understand her,” he said. “She was still crying.”

Austin Eckroat and his wife Sally hold the trophy after winning the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches at PGA National Resort & Spa on March 4, 2024 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

That celebration came in front of a modest gallery surrounding the green and near-empty grandstands, the result of the first Monday finish on the PGA Tour in 13 months.

“Everything happens for a reason,” Sally said about the subdued celebration. “It was supposed to be this way. It felt very calming with less people out here. I think it was a blessing.”

Sally’s tears were understandable given how much a PGA Tour victory means these days, especially for golfers in Eckroat’s class.

Eckroat, who entered the weekend ranked No. 101 in the world, now is eligible for the remaining signature events this season, including this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, the Masters and the PGA Championship.

Not to mention he receives a $1.62 million winner’s check. Eckroat earned just more than $2.86 million in his first 49 career starts.

Eckroat was asked soon after hoisting the first-ever Cognizant Classic crystal trophy what he was looking forward to most.

“I’m looking forward to this afternoon and evaluating my schedule and seeing what the rest of the season is going to hold,” he said. “It’s just a great opportunity upcoming with what the win does for me. The job security I gain from that, as well. There’s a lot that this got for me.”

Eckroat’s only previous flirtation with victory on the Tour was the 2023 Byron Nelson. He was tied for the lead after 54 holes before shooting a 65 and finishing tied for second.

That weekend, though, was an invaluable experience.

“I didn’t really know what to expect, what the feeling would be,” Austin said. “I knew finishing second was heartbreaking.”

Eckroat could have become unnerved early when he missed a 7-foot birdie put on No. 10, his third hole of the day. And Steve, who played college golf at Oklahoma City University and has been Austin’s swing instructor, wondered how his son would react.

Steve was feeling pretty good watching Austin’s early iron play but got a bit nervous when his putts were not falling, wondering if “he was going to start pressing” after a slow start on the greens.

Those nerves calmed after Austin made consecutive birdie putts at Nos. 12 and 13, both from around 7 feet.

That gave him a cushion – even with his lone bogey of the day at No. 14 – entering the daunting Bear Trap. But a par on the par-3 No. 15, the toughest hole over the tournament’s four days, and a birdie on No. 16 helped for what he called “the scariest tee shot of the year” at the par-3 No. 17.

But that tee shot came with a three-shot lead over Erik van Rooyan, who finished Sunday at 14-under, and Min Woo Lee.

Making the final hole as stress-free as it can get for a champion.

“Just tried to keep a calm demeanor,” said Austin, who added he was a lot less calm on the inside. “I think I do pretty well at that in all aspects, whether I’m playing bad or good.

“It just comes natural. I’m that way in everyday life, not just on the golf course. Just pretty stoic, never too high, never too low. I think it’s a blessing in golf, though.”

Why did PGA National play so easy during the 2024 Cognizant Classic? Here are a few reasons

The mighty Champion Course at PGA National appears to have lost its cutting edge.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida — The mighty Champion Course at PGA National appears to have lost its cutting edge after recent efforts to produce a gentler course for professional golfers.

The 2024 Cognizant Classic set a new standard for low scoring on the vaunted course: Champion Austin Eckroat shot 17-under, the best by an event winner on the Champion Course, while a record 27 total golfers shot 10-under or better.

In the 17 previous years of the event at PGA National, just 11 golfers shot 10-under or better with 11 tournaments producing no golfers double-digits under par.

Last year, Chris Kirk and Eric Cole went to a playoff at a record 14-under in the final Honda Classic. Only two other players shot 10-under or better in a tournament that was arguably the lowest scoring at the event site to date.

Even though Eckroat ultimately won by a comfortable three-stroke margin Monday, the former Oklahoma State star was well aware he was tailed by a pack of golfers capable of cashing in on scoreable conditions.

“I look at the leaderboard when I’m playing. I’m not afraid to look at them,” Eckroat said. “I noticed that those guys were close and then on No. 15 I noticed Min Woo Lee had gone to 14-under. I knew I wasn’t clear then and there were a lot of guys still in the event with the Bear Trap coming.”

Golfers feast on redesigned No. 10

The Champion Course at PGA National has developed a challenging reputation among professional golfers due to its plentiful water, unpredictable winds and tricky hole designs.

In the 2020-21 season, the course was rated the third-most difficult on the PGA Tour, a fact that reportedly drove some top golfers away when combined with its usual late February, early March schedule.

In recent years, efforts to ease the course’s difficulty have included cutting the 4-inch rough in half as well as shortening the yardage on the Bear Trap’s notorious par-3s.

This year, tournament officials also converted hole No. 10 from a par-4 to a par-5, a change that immediately made it the easiest hole on the course: Golfers combined for 28 eagles and 283 birdies over the tournament with no player scoring worse than bogey, just 14 times.

“For me, obviously, a longer hitter, [hole No. 10] actually shaped to my liking a bit more,” said Min Woo Lee, who finished tied for second at 14-under. “If I hit it straight [now] it’s okay where before with the forward tees I could hit it straight and it might run through.”

Lee, who shot 4-under at the event last year, played No. 10 at 6-under for the tournament with two eagles and two birdies.

2024 Cognizant Classic
Heavy rains postponed play as puddles form on the 18th green complex during the final round of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Monday finish a rare challenge

While the course may not have offered the usual hazards that stymy golfers, Mother Nature still had its say with Sunday’s driving rains that pushed the tournament to its first Monday finish since 2015.

“It was hectic but I just had to keep my head in the game,” Lee said. “I don’t really have that many Monday finishes or where I’ve been included … It was tough to regroup and lock in.

“Last night, I was just on my phone for a couple hours and I was like, ‘What am I doing? I need to sleep,’ It felt like the end of the tournament but we had another 12 hours of golf to play.”

Shane Lowry and David Skinns, who co-led after 54 holes with Eckroat, struggled to build momentum Monday morning, both shooting 1-over to finish tied for fourth.

Lowry’s struggles were visible and the former British Open champion smashed his club into the ground in frustration on hole No. 15 after hitting his tee shot into the water and failing to put his third shot close enough to avoid a double bogey.

Skinns, who bogeyed two of his first three holes Sunday after the rain delay, was better Monday but ultimately not good enough to keep pace with Eckroat.

“Yeah, yesterday that was a strange day, waiting around as much as we did,” Skinns said. “I thought I’d be pretty calm, but yesterday I was pretty apprehensive. I wasn’t feeling great.

“Came back today with a totally different outlook, and I’m pleased with the way I played today. There was a couple of iffy shots, but I put my best foot forward today I felt like, and I was more comfortable.”

Skinns entered the tournament ranked 289th in the world ranking and his payout for tying for fourth place ($344,250) will more than double his career PGA Tour earnings.

Erik Van Rooyen was likely the most apprehensive player not at PGA National on Monday.

The South African shot a tournament-best 63 in a final round finished Sunday to enter the clubhouse at 14-under. He chose to take part as scheduled in the prestigious pro-member event at Seminole Golf Club, though he reportedly had a car waiting in the event he backed into a playoff.

Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com.

PGA Tour golfers 10-under or better at PGA National

2024 — 27

2023 — 4

2022 — 1

2021 — 1

2020 — 0

2019 — 0

2018 — 0

2017 — 1

2016 — 0

2015 — 0

2014 — 0

2013 — 0

2012 — 3

2011 — 0

2010 — 1

2009 — 0

2008 — 0

2007 — 0

Winner’s Bag: Austin Eckroat, 2024 Cognizant Classic

A complete list of the golf equipment that Austin Eckroat used to win the PGA Tour’s 2024 Cognizant Classic.

A complete list of the golf equipment that Austin Eckroat used to win the PGA Tour’s 2024 Cognizant Classic:

DRIVER: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees adjusted to 9.25), with Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green 6.5 70 X shaft

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Austin Eckroat’s driver” link=”https://worldwidegolfshops.pxf.io/xka5gR”]

FAIRWAY WOOD: Ping G430 Max (15 degrees), with Graphite Design DI-8 X shaft

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Austin Eckroat’s fairway wood” link=”https://worldwidegolfshops.pxf.io/jr0y96″]

IRONS: Ping Blueprint S (3), Blueprint T (4-PW), with Project X 6.5 shafts

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Austin Eckroat’s irons” link=”https://worldwidegolfshops.pxf.io/5gEZv3″]

WEDGES: Ping Glide Forged Pro (50, 54, 60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Austin Eckroat’s wedges” link=”https://worldwidegolfshops.pxf.io/GmJVM9″]

PUTTER: Ping Redwood D66

BALL: Titleist Pro V1

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Austin Eckroat’s golf ball” link=”https://worldwidegolfshops.pxf.io/Vm9YMM”]

2024 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches prize money payouts for each PGA Tour player

It pays to play well on the PGA Tour.

It pays to play well on the PGA Tour. Just ask this week’s winner, Austin Eckroat.

The 25-year-old rookie from Oklahoma won the 2024 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches at PGA National in Florida after a 4-under 67 in the final round to claim his first PGA Tour victory at 17 under in just his 50th start. For his efforts, Eckroat will take home the top prize of $1.62 million. Erik van Rooyen and Min Woo Lee finished runner-up at 14 under and each earned $801,000.

With $9 million up for grabs, check out how much money each PGA Tour player earned this week at the 2024 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.

Prize money payouts

Position Player Score Earnings
1 Austin Eckroat -17 $1,620,000
T2 Erik van Rooyen -14 $801,000
T2 Min Woo Lee -14 $801,000
T4 K.H. Lee -13 $344,250
T4 Cameron Young -13 $344,250
T4 Jake Knapp -13 $344,250
T4 Shane Lowry -13 $344,250
T4 David Skinns -13 $344,250
T9 Keith Mitchell -12 $210,536
T9 Billy Horschel -12 $210,536
T9 Alex Noren -12 $210,536
T9 Peter Malnati -12 $210,536
T9 Andrew Novak -12 $210,536
T9 Martin Laird -12 $210,536
T9 Kevin Yu -12 $210,536
T16 Doug Ghim -11 $137,250
T16 Tyson Alexander -11 $137,250
T16 Ben Silverman -11 $137,250
T16 Garrick Higgo -11 $137,250
T16 Victor Perez -11 $137,250
T21 Byeong Hun An -10 $87,750
T21 Zach Johnson -10 $87,750
T21 Sam Ryder -10 $87,750
T21 Matt Fitzpatrick -10 $87,750
T21 Rory McIlroy -10 $87,750
T21 Nico Echavarria -10 $87,750
T21 Bud Cauley -10 $87,750
T28 Beau Hossler -9 $59,014
T28 Chris Kirk -9 $59,014
T28 Chan Kim -9 $59,014
T28 Tom Hoge -9 $59,014
T28 Matthieu Pavon -9 $59,014
T28 C.T. Pan -9 $59,014
T28 Jacob Bridgeman -9 $59,014
T35 Ryan Fox -8 $43,875
T35 Lucas Glover -8 $43,875
T35 Chris Gotterup -8 $43,875
T35 Jimmy Stanger -8 $43,875
T35 Chesson Hadley -8 $43,875
T35 Chad Ramey -8 $43,875
T41 Corey Conners -7 $32,850
T41 Joseph Bramlett -7 $32,850
T41 Maverick McNealy -7 $32,850
T41 Russell Henley -7 $32,850
T41 David Lipsky -7 $32,850
T41 Rickie Fowler -7 $32,850
T47 Troy Merritt -6 $23,880
T47 Davis Thompson -6 $23,880
T47 Vincent Norrman -6 $23,880
T47 Alexander Björk -6 $23,880
T47 Max Greyserman -6 $23,880
T47 Parker Coody -6 $23,880
T53 Jorge Campillo -5 $21,390
T53 Mac Meissner -5 $21,390
T53 Nick Dunlap -5 $21,390
T56 Adam Schenk -4 $20,700
T56 Greyson Sigg -4 $20,700
T56 Carson Young -4 $20,700
T56 Rico Hoey -4 $20,700
T60 Taylor Montgomery -3 $20,160
T60 Robert MacIntyre -3 $20,160
T62 Davis Riley -2 $19,800
T62 Tom Kim -2 $19,800
T64 Mark Hubbard -1 $19,440
T64 Justin Rose -1 $19,440
66 J.T. Poston E $19,170
T67 Camilo Villegas 1 $18,900
T67 S.H. Kim 1 $18,900

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1375]

Austin Eckroat claims first PGA Tour win at 2024 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches

The win is the first of Eckroat’s PGA Tour career in his 50th start.

Inclement weather delayed the final round of the 2024 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches by more than three hours on Sunday afternoon and pushed the first event of the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing to a Monday finish.

After heavy rains pummelled PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Austin Eckroat found himself in the lead at 15 under entering the fifth day of play. Eleven holes later he walked away with the trophy at 17 under for his first PGA Tour win in just his 50th start. Eckroat made two birdies over seven holes on Sunday afternoon before play was called due to darkness and the 25-year-old doubled down on Monday and signed for a 4-under 67 to seal the three-shot win.

Starting the day on the 8th hole, Eckroat eased back into his round with pars on his opening four holes before a pair of birdies on Nos. 12 and 13. A pulled putt from six feet for par led to his lone bogey of the final round on the par-4 14th, but the Oklahoma State grad extended his lead back to three shots with another birdie on No. 16.

Min Woo Lee (67) and Erik van Rooyen (63) finished T-2 at 14 under.

The PGA Tour is back in action next week in Orlando with the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1375]

Hideki Matsuyama highlights notables to miss cut at Wyndham Championship

The ramifications of missing the cut at the Wyndham Championship on Friday, for some, meant the start of the offseason.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — The ramifications of missing the cut at the Wyndham Championship on Friday, for some, meant the start of the offseason.

Only the top 70 in the season-long FedEx Cup advance to the playoffs next week after 44 regular season events. For Ben Griffin, who entered the week at No. 68, and Austin Eckroat, the “Bubble Boy” at No. 70, they could read the writing on the wall as they struggled to the finish of their morning round in the same threesome.

“The last three holes we tried to determine how many hole-outs we both needed to make the cut, and none of us had a hole-out. I thought I had a good chance of a hole-out on 8,” Griffin said. “But we were joking around towards the end. There’s not much you can do with when you’re four or five out with a few holes to go except try to have fun out there.”

Hope is not completely lost for these two, who will have to sit and wait, hope and pray that they hang on to their precarious rankings. After 36 holes, Griffin still was projected to be Memphis bound at No. 70 while Eckroat is going to need more help as he’s projected to be No. 72.

In all, 74 players moved on to the weekend with a 36-hole total of 2-under 138, including two-time champion Brandt Snedeker, who birdied the final two holes to earn a weekend tee time at 3 under. However, Ben Taylor, Garrick Higgo, K.H. Lee, David Lingmerth, the four players who entered the week Nos. 71-74 in the FedExCup standings, missed the cut and have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Here are some of the notable players this week that weren’t so lucky.

2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic odds, course history and picks to win

Who’s your pick to win in the Motor City?

After a week in New England, the PGA Tour heads to the Motor City for the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.

Despite its tricky place in the Tour’s schedule, the RMC is hosting one of its best fields ever as defending champion Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Justin Thomas and Tom Kim are all set to tee it up Thursday.

After missing the cut at the Memorial and U.S. Open, Thomas found some form at the Travelers Championship, tying for ninth. Fowler continued his run of good play in Connecticut, finishing T-13. Finau tied for 45th last week while Homa missed the cut.

Finau is the betting favorite at +1200, followed by Fowler and Morikawa at +1400 and Hideki Matsuyama at +1600.

Golf course

Detroit Golf Club | Par 72 | 7,370 yards | Donald Ross design

First round of Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, Thursday, July 1, 2021.

Course history

Betting preview

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3413″ ]

Winning is hard: These 14 pros nearly picked up their first PGA Tour win this season

“Second place is just the first-place loser. There is no room for second place.”

With the calendar flipping to June, the PGA Tour counts eight first-time winners this season, including the duo of Davis Riley and Nick Hardy, who teamed up for their first wins at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

It was almost nine on Sunday as Denny McCarthy had a putt to win the Memorial only to be denied his maiden victory by Viktor Hovland.

McCarthy isn’t alone. So far this season, 14 different players have finished runner-up or tied for second 15 times while bidding for their first Tour title. If the Netflix documentary “Full Swing” taught us anything it is that winning is hard. (Don’t drink every time a player says just that or you may not make it through a single episode.)

“The only one who will remember you if you come in second place is your wife and your dog,” World Golf Hall of Famer Gary Player once said, “and that is only if you have a good wife and a good dog.”

NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt didn’t mince words either, saying, “Second place is just the first-place loser. There is no room for second place.”

Nevertheless, let’s take a closer look at this year’s runner-ups, who were so close to tasting victory and climbing another rung on the professional golf ladder with their first Tour wins.