Three-time PGA Tour winner Shane Lowry saw the tournament slip away during the final round of the Cognizant Classic on March 1.

The collapse sparked discussion about how difficult it is to close out PGA Tour tournaments. During his Players Championship press conference, Tommy Fleetwood said winning on tour often comes down to timing rather than pressure.

"I think negative thoughts are a very natural thing to creep in. They're just thoughts at the end of the day,” Fleetwood said. "When you know people are watching and talking as well. At the same time I think that's an added layer to it."

Lowry entered Sunday as a co-leader following a bogey-free 63 on Saturday. He then moved ahead with four birdies and an eagle at the 10th to take control of the tournament.

However, the Bear Trap stretch shifted the momentum. At the par-4 16th, Lowry sent his 3-iron tee shot into the water and walked away with a double bogey. At the par-3 17th, his tee shot again found the water, leading to another double bogey.

The two-hole swing opened the door for Nicolás Echavarría, who finished at 17-under to claim the title, while Lowry ended the week tied for second at 15-under.

Despite the finish, the 2025 DP World India Championship winner said, “There's no doubt Shane is going to win, like probably pretty soon and it could be something really, really big. And when he does, I think like, you know, or whatever experiences have come before will be a good thing.”

Fleetwood pointed to his Atlanta win as proof similar performances can produce different results.

Fleetwood Reflects on His Atlanta Breakthrough

“I think for me Atlanta was great for me because I felt like I didn't do anything that different to the times that I would have been looked at as giving it away or having lost that, but I was lucky to have that experience where I did win.”

In August 2025, he secured his first PGA Tour victory at the Tour Championship at East Lake.

He closed the tournament at 18-under, beating Patrick Cantlay and Russell Henley by three strokes. The victory came in his 164th start on the PGA Tour and also secured the FedExCup.

Fleetwood became the first player to win the Tour Championship as his first PGA Tour title since the FedExCup format began in 2007. The result also placed him among English winners of the FedExCup, joining Justin Rose, who won the season title in 2018.

What do you think about Shane Lowry’s finish at the Cognizant Classic?

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav