AMERICAN JOE HIGHSMITH earned his first win on the PGA Tour after a final round 7-under-par 64 clinched the Cognizant Classic at Palm Beach Gardens by two strokes.
The 24-year-old flirted with the cut-line on Friday when he made a second-round 72, but back-to-back rounds of 64 saw him in the clubhouse on 19-under for the tournament.
That proved too much for the chasing field that included Jake Knapp, who shot an opening round 59 and had led after each of the first three rounds.
Shane Lowry claimed a share of 11th place after a final round of 67 to go with his earlier rounds of 66, 68 and 70. The Offaly man finished on 13-under, six shots off the winner. He started his final round with a birdie on the first and two more on the seventh and eighth holes before dropping a shot on the ninth.
He added three more birdies on holes 13, 15 and 18 along with a second bogey on the 15th.
A triple bogey from Knapp on the 11th hole wrecked his dream of a wire-to-wire triumph as Highsmith snaffled the $1.7 million prize and earned a place in the Masters and the elite signature events.
A pivotal birdie on the 17th hole gave Highsmith a two-shot cushion heading to the par-5 18th, where a steady par sealed the deal and a bogey-free round.
Highsmith’s mother was present to watch his round but had planned to leave at the turn to catch a flight home before her son’s performance forced her to change plans and stay to the end.
Jacob Bridgeman who shot 64 and J.J. Spaun who carded 66 finished tied for second place, two shots behind Highsmith.
Knapp was left to rue his treble bogey on the 11th hole, where he drove his second shot to the edge of the greenside water and his attempt to blast the ball out, from bad footing, back-fired as it spun off the banking and into the water.
Knapp finished tied for sixth on 15-under for the week, four behind Highsmith.
Max McGreevy (67) and Ben Griffin (69) tied for fourth place at 16 under.
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American Highsmith earns maiden PGA title as Lowry finishes in tie for 11th
AMERICAN JOE HIGHSMITH earned his first win on the PGA Tour after a final round 7-under-par 64 clinched the Cognizant Classic at Palm Beach Gardens by two strokes.
The 24-year-old flirted with the cut-line on Friday when he made a second-round 72, but back-to-back rounds of 64 saw him in the clubhouse on 19-under for the tournament.
That proved too much for the chasing field that included Jake Knapp, who shot an opening round 59 and had led after each of the first three rounds.
Shane Lowry claimed a share of 11th place after a final round of 67 to go with his earlier rounds of 66, 68 and 70. The Offaly man finished on 13-under, six shots off the winner. He started his final round with a birdie on the first and two more on the seventh and eighth holes before dropping a shot on the ninth.
He added three more birdies on holes 13, 15 and 18 along with a second bogey on the 15th.
A triple bogey from Knapp on the 11th hole wrecked his dream of a wire-to-wire triumph as Highsmith snaffled the $1.7 million prize and earned a place in the Masters and the elite signature events.
A pivotal birdie on the 17th hole gave Highsmith a two-shot cushion heading to the par-5 18th, where a steady par sealed the deal and a bogey-free round.
Highsmith’s mother was present to watch his round but had planned to leave at the turn to catch a flight home before her son’s performance forced her to change plans and stay to the end.
Jacob Bridgeman who shot 64 and J.J. Spaun who carded 66 finished tied for second place, two shots behind Highsmith.
Knapp was left to rue his treble bogey on the 11th hole, where he drove his second shot to the edge of the greenside water and his attempt to blast the ball out, from bad footing, back-fired as it spun off the banking and into the water.
Knapp finished tied for sixth on 15-under for the week, four behind Highsmith.
Max McGreevy (67) and Ben Griffin (69) tied for fourth place at 16 under.
– © AFP 2025
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final standings Golf Joe Highsmith PGA Shane Lowry