Austin Eckroat Wins Second PGA Tour Title of 2024

Austin Eckroat won the World Wide Technology Championship to secure his second PGA Tour title of the year, shooting a brilliant nine-under 63 for a one-stroke victory over Justin Lower and Carson Young.

Playing in the group ahead of Lower and Young, Eckroat birdied the par-4 17th to open a three-stroke lead over Young, then finished with a bogey on the par-5 18th at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante.

He said: "I think it kind of validates the season that I had, just a great way to cap off and end the year. It was really special to do it at an event where the title sponsor, I’m an ambassador of their company. A cool week."

Needing an eagle to force a playoff, Young birdied the 18th for a 65. "I hit a bunch of good iron shots, especially on the back nine," Young said. "I shot 7 under, so I played good, I can’t be too mad about it."

Lower closed with an eagle for a 65. "I played well," Lower said. "I said yesterday I had to shoot probably somewhere between 5 and 9 again just to have a chance. Shot 7 and came up one short."

Eckroat finished at 24-under 264. The 25-year-old former Oklahoma State player won the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches in March at PGA National for his first PGA Tour title.

Who is Austin Eckroat?

Austin Eckroat was born in Edmond, Oklahoma on January 12, 1999.

He graduated from in 2017 and attended Oklahoma State University from 2017 to 2020 and was a four-time All-American with the Cowboys, who won the NCAA team title in 2018.

Eckroat also competed in the Walker Cup in 2021.

He turned professional in 2021 and earned limited status on the Korn Ferry Tour for 2022 through qualifying school. He played in just two events in the first half of the season and missed both cuts. His third start came at the Advent Health Championship in May, where he tied for 23rd, earning entry into the next event and commencing a stretch of nine top-25 finishes in the final 11 regular-season events, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Memorial Health Championship. He qualified for the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, where he earned a PGA Tour card after finishing second at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship.

In May 2023, Eckroat was runner-up at the Byron Nelson in Texas, one shot behind Jason Day. A month later in the final round of the US Open he tied the nine-hole record of 29 and tied for 10th.

In March 2024, he won his first PGA Tour event at the Cognizant Classic in Florida, three shots ahead of Erik van Rooyen and Min Woo Lee. 

This was his 70th start and he has made 45 cuts, winning twice, and enjoying four top fives and seven top 10s.