Nico Echavarria Wins Cognizant Classic 2026 with $1.728 Million Payout

The PGA Tour event at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens featured a $9.6 million purse.

Mar. 2, 2026 at 8:31pm

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Nico Echavarria secured his third PGA Tour title at the 2026 Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, capitalizing on a late-round stumble by Shane Lowry. The tournament featured a $9.6 million purse, with Echavarria taking home $1.728 million as the winner.

Why it matters

The Cognizant Classic is positioned within a challenging stretch of the PGA Tour schedule, facing competition for player participation and fan attention from larger Signature Events like the WM Phoenix Open and The Players Championship. Echavarria's victory highlights the importance of navigating the 'Bear Trap' holes at PGA National.

The details

Echavarria took home the top prize after Shane Lowry, who was in contention for his first individual PGA Tour win in seven years, fell victim to the infamous 'Bear Trap' - holes 16, 17, and 18 - with consecutive double bogeys. The tournament's $9.6 million purse was distributed among the top finishers, with the runner-ups (Taylor Moore, Shane Lowry, Austin Smotherman) each earning $726,400.

  • The 2026 Cognizant Classic was held on March 2, 2026.

The players

Nico Echavarria

The winner of the 2026 Cognizant Classic, securing his third PGA Tour title.

Shane Lowry

A past dominator at PGA National who was in contention for his first individual PGA Tour win in seven years, but fell victim to the 'Bear Trap' holes.

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What’s next

The PGA Tour will continue its schedule with the upcoming Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship.

The takeaway

Echavarria's victory at the Cognizant Classic demonstrates the importance of navigating the challenging 'Bear Trap' holes at PGA National, as well as the growing influence of Signature Events on the PGA Tour landscape.