The 2026 Cognizant Classic saw Nicolas Echavarria of Medellin, Colombia be victorious, but he was not the big story at Palm Beach Gardens, Florida in the fourth round on Sunday. That belonged to Ireland’s Shane Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion.
With three holes left on Sunday, it seemed destined that Lowry would capture his fourth title on the PGA Tour. However, on the 16th hole, disaster simply struck. Lowry’s tee shot went directly into the water. The poor shot to begin the hole led to a double bogey.
However, Lowry still had the lead with two holes left. At -17, he was tied with Echavarria. Then it was basically when deja vu happened on the 17th hole. With his second consecutive tee shot, Lowry’s ball went kerplunk, and back in the water.
What were the chances that Lowry would post a score of six on a par four, and then a score of five immediately after on a par three? To put the double double-bogeys into perspective, Lowry was the only player to hit his tee shot into the water on the 16th and 17th holes in the entire tournament according to Rotowire.
When a player collapses at a critical time, he or she wants nothing more than to get back on to the golf course and prove himself or herself again. The Arnold Palmer Invitational, which starts Thursday, all of a sudden has extra significance for Lowry. On Thursday, Lowry will be teeing off at 10:05 AM ET alongside two-time major champion Xander Schauffele.
