Nico Echavarria Wins Cognizant Classic, Closes on Palm Beach Gardens Home

Nico Echavarria closed out the Cognizant Classic in dramatic fashion, sinking a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-3 17th, parring 18 and then waiting as Shane Lowry’s late collapse handed the 31-year-old Colombian a two-stroke victory and a $1,728,000 winner’s check. The win, captured in a Getty photo of Echavarria posing with the trophy at PGA National Resort And Spa on March 01, 2026, is his third PGA Tour title and arrived the same week he and his wife, Claudia, completed the purchase of a home in Palm Beach Gardens.

The final numbers were tidy: Echavarria finished 17-under for the tournament, beating Shane Lowry by two strokes, and collected the official winner’s share of $1,728,000. The victory also earns Echavarria exemptions into multiple majors, explicitly including The Masters and the Players Championship, and secures a spot on the early stretch of the Florida swing that continues with the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The decisive sequence began at No. 17, where Palm Beach Post coverage noted that Echavarria “stuck that wedge to about 10-feet at No. 17 and rolled in the birdie putt, which he punctuated by punching the air.” He parred the 18th and then had a short wait as Lowry, who held a three-shot lead at 19-under with three holes to play according to Yahoo Sports, finished double bogey, double bogey, par. Palm Beach Post framed Lowry’s finishing holes as two double bogeys among the final three holes, a swing that opened the door for Echavarria.

Echavarria’s week was defined by steady damage control as much as one clutch birdie. Yahoo Sports recorded that he made the fewest bogeys of any player all week, only three, and that all three came in the second round. That consistency, paired with timely putting, produced the margin of victory and the career milestone of a third PGA Tour title.

Off the course, the timing could not have been better for the newlyweds. Claudia handled the closing on their Palm Beach Gardens house the same day as the Cognizant second round, and the couple are moving to Palm Beach County to be closer to family, the Palm Beach Post reported. Echavarria even joked about home details from Bay Hill, saying, “There are little rocks on the outside of the entrance of the house. And it was either that or no rocks or like a certain color.”

On the victory dais Echavarria promised to keep a prior pledge to Claudia: “The promise is we're getting a dog because a dog is expensive, so we need a third win for a dog, that's how it works.” He added a preference, “We want a Bernedoodle. Min Woo [Lee] just got one.” Daily Mail coverage noted the couple were married last November.

Equipment and sponsorship narratives followed the win. SuperStroke highlighted that Echavarria used a SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol Tour putter grip, and Ryan Harris, vice president of marketing at SuperStroke, said, “Nico was clutch in all four rounds making key birdies and par saves with his SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol Tour putter grip in hand. We can’t wait to see where Nico’s talents will take him next.” SuperStroke’s product copy described the grip’s pistol-style top section and No Taper Technology intended to stabilize hand placement and pressure.

One reporting inconsistency remains in accounts of Echavarria’s prior 2024 victory, with some outlets listing it as the Baycurrent Classic and others naming a different event; the record of his three career PGA Tour wins is otherwise consistent across coverage. For now, Echavarria departs Palm Beach Gardens with a trophy, $1,728,000 richer, a housewarming to unpack and a Bernedoodle to procure after a week that combined career reward with a personal milestone.