The drama of the final round at the Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach delivered high television ratings and could not have come at a better time.
The final round of the tournament was the most watched since 2022, averaging 2.6 million viewers on NBC and Peacock.
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This round saw a dramatic finish as Nico Echavarria overcame a three-stroke lead over Shane Lowry with three holes remaining to win by two strokes. Echavarria shot a 66 on Sunday to pass Lowry and finish at 17-under 267.
Lowry (69) suffered double bogeys on the 16th par-4 and 17th par-3, hitting both holes into the water and finishing the final three holes in 4 over. He marked a total of 15 under for the 4 rounds.
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The win earned Echavarria a spot in this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational field as part of the Aon Next 10.
Haotong Li tees off on the 15th hole during the final round of the Cognizant Classic at PGA National Resort & Spa Palm Beach on Sunday, March 1, 2026 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
The tournament needed some good news, given that the PGA Tour is expected to make significant changes to its upcoming schedule, potentially putting its future in jeopardy. Cognizant is one of those tournaments that some believe could be eliminated due to a weak field and declining attendance in recent years, and this is due to the Tour giving this event a very unfavorable position on its schedule.
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This year, not a single golfer ranked in the top 25 in the world in this field. According to the Official World Golf Rankings, the tournament had the worst ranking of 213.1 points, the lowest of the seven PGA Tour tournaments held this year, two of which were signature tournaments.
This event took place after two consecutive Signature Events at Pebble Beach and Riviera, and before another Signature Event (Arnold Palmer Invitational) and The Players.
Tom DiAngelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for the Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared in the Palm Beach Post: Cognizant Classic 2026 final round TV ratings are highest in four years
