Austin Eckroat gets his 1st PGA Tour win by prevailing at Cognizant Classic

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — 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: $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 4-under 67, finishing at 17-under 267.

He left PGA National on Sunday night when darkness stopped play with a onestroke 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-4 16th pushed the edge out to three shots. By then, it was academic. Eckroat laid up on the par-5 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 8-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 5-under 65 and finished in a tie for 10th at 3 under — ensuring he’d play in this year’s U.S. Open.