Austin Eckroat Captures First PGA Tour Win at Cognizant Classic
The Oklahoma State golf program can add another PGA Tour win to its stacked resume.
Four-time All-American Austin Eckroat clinched his maiden Tour victory on Monday at the Cognizant Classic after the tournament’s Sunday finish was postponed due to extreme weather.
With rounds of 65-67-68-67, Eckroat stormed to a three-shot victory over South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen and Australia’s Min Woo Lee at PGA National’s Champions course. Cameron Young, Jake Knapp and K.H. Lee tied for fourth at 13 under.
MORE: Final payouts from the Cognizant Classic
Eckroat, 25, handled the unconventional tournament scheduling like a seasoned pro after his Sunday tee time was postponed until 5 p.m. local time due to heavy rain and unplayable conditions. He finished his first seven holes in 2 under before play was suspended due to darkness. A long night ensued for Eckroat, who held a one-shot lead heading into the continuation of play Monday.
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But the Cowboy maintained a level head despite the unusual circumstances and pushed through to a dominant victory. He finished his final 11 holes in 2 under par, going 1 under through the treacherous “Bear Trap,” which includes the tricky 15th, 16th and 17th holes.
“The adversity of sleeping mid-round, I’m just really happy with how I handled it,” Eckroat said. “I just kept telling myself, I put myself in this position for a reason—it’s what I want to do. I was happy that I was able to perform in the situation.”
At 25 years old, Eckroat’s path to the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour has looked a bit different than that of his former teammates, Viktor Hovland and Matthew Wolff. Eckroat was a member of the 2018 OSU team that swept Alabama for its 11th NCAA team championship title, but instead of pursuing a professional career immediately like Wolff and Hovland, Eckroat stayed on the roster until 2020.
He turned professional in 2021 and earned limited Korn Ferry Tour status for 2022 through Q-School. In his third Korn Ferry Tour start, Eckroat made his first cut and tied for 23rd. The finish launched him into a career-defining hot streak. He posted nine top-25 finishes in 11 events to place 34th on the KFT points list. That result didn’t earn Eckroat his PGA Tour card immediately, but it did give him a place in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. The college standout went on to seize that opportunity, finishing second at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship to secure 2023 PGA Tour membership.
Last year Eckroat’s season was highlighted by a T2 finish at the AT&T Byron Nelson and a T10 finish at the U.S. Open at LACC.
Eckroat’s win at the Cognizant Classic locks up his PGA Tour status for the next two seasons and earns him an invitation to next month's Masters.