25-year-old Austin Eckroat shot a final-round 9-under-par 63 to take his second career PGA Tour title and second of 2024 at the World Wide Technology Championship on Sunday in Los Cabos, Mexico.
A third-year pro out of Oklahoma State, Eckroat joined the tour in 2023 and previously won at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches in March. His second win of the season put him in some elite company, joining the likes of top money-earners Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy as one of six two-time winners in 2024.
“I’ve got a little work to do to really be at the same level, but it’s pretty special,” Eckroat said. “As you say, half a dozen guys won twice this season, so that’s a great achievement.”
Eckroat began the day a stroke behind leaders Justin Lower, Carson Young and Colombia’s Nico Echavarria while he was also tied with two other players, Max Greyserman and Joe Highsmith.
That group, with the exception of Echavarria, was tightly aligned through nine holes Sunday, but Eckroat caught fire to begin the back nine of El Cardonal at Diamante, creating some needed separation with four birdies across the first five holes (Nos. 10-12, 14).
“Oh, man, that’s probably some of the best golf I’ve ever played, just from the start putts were going in,” Eckroat said. “I don’t know, it was automatic out there today I guess is how you could call it.”
That hot stretch, paired with his six birdies over his first eight holes, was ultimately necessary, as Eckroat fired his second bogey of the day on the par-5 18th, putting him at 24-under 264 for the tournament.
Eckroat’s bogey opened the door ever so slightly for Young (7-under 65), who could have forced a playoff with an eagle on 18. But Young, who carded seven other birdies on the day, settled for another to finish 23 under for the tourney, giving Eckroat a one-stroke victory.
“Obviously I didn’t win and congrats to Austin for that, that was one hell of a round today,” Young said. “I just missed a few six-, eight-foot putts coming down the stretch on the back nine and that seemed to be the difference there.”
Lower (65), who was four strokes back after 17 holes, made up two of them on his own with an eagle on 18 to finish in a tie for second with Young.
Eckroat finished with 11 birdies against two bogeys to complete his remarkable day.
“It’s crazy I only won by one shooting 9-under par today from one back.” Eckroat added. “Obviously everybody was playing well, it was a good battle.”
Greyserman, meanwhile, was steady throughout but could never quite get into position to apply pressure. His eight-birdie, one-bogey day left him at 7 under for the round and 22 under for the tournament.
Highsmith finished in fifth place at 19 under with his 4-under 68 final round, while Echavarria landed in a six-way tie for sixth place at 17 under after his 1-under 71.
The other sixth-place finishers were South Africa’s Garrick Higgo (64), Sam Stevens (66), Wesley Bryan (67), Maverick McNealy (69) and David Lipsky (67).
–Field Level Media
