Lowry Had It. Then He Didn't.

PGA TOUR ^. COGNIZANT CLASSIC

Shane Lowry wanted his four-year-old daughter to run across the 18th green at PGA National. Three-shot lead, three holes left. Instead he hit consecutive tee shots into the water on 16 and 17, made back-to-back double bogeys, and watched Nico Echavarria birdie 17 to steal it.

This is now a pattern. Lowry lost the lead on the 72nd hole in Dubai in January. He's finished top-11 at PGA National five straight years without a win. "I had the tournament in my hands, and I threw it away" he said. He's not wrong, and the Bear Trap doesn't care about your feelings.

Five years. Five top-11s. Zero trophies at PGA National.

PGA TOUR ^. COGNIZANT CLASSIC

Nico Echavarria didn't make a bogey all weekend. That alone would be a story, but his birdie on 17 while Lowry was self-destructing on 16 turned a good week into a career-defining one. Third PGA Tour win, first in the U.S., and a second Masters invitation for the 31-year-old Colombian.

The $1.73 million check is the biggest of his career. "Sometimes you have to have good breaks," Echavarria said. Sometimes you just have to be bogey-free when the other guy finds the water twice.

$1.73 million. A Masters invite. A new dog. Echavarria's week ended better than Lowry's.

LIV GOLF ^. OWGR

The OWGR board voted unanimously to award ranking points to LIV events starting this season, but the caveats are significant: only the top 10 finishers at each event earn points, and the field ratings roughly equal opposite-field PGA Tour events. A LIV winner gets about 23 points. Justin Rose got 56 for winning the Farmers.

LIV called the decision "long overdue" but added it's "unprecedented" that 11th place and 57th place are treated identically. Meanwhile, the circuit has shifted to 72-hole events, expanded its roster to 57, and revamped its relegation system in a clear bid for legitimacy. Rory McIlroy called the 72-hole shift "peculiar." My take: it's pragmatic, not peculiar. LIV wants major access, and this is the price.

Points are points. But these aren't equal ones.

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LOOKING AHEAD

Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill

The Tour stays in Florida for the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. It's a Signature Event with a stacked field and elevated FedEx Cup points. Names to watch: Scottie Scheffler (owns this place), Rory McIlroy (needs a bounce-back), and Jacob Bridgeman (riding a top-20 world ranking after his Genesis win).

Titleist's SM11 wedges are on pre-sale now in Tour Chrome and Jet Black finishes. For most mid-handicappers, wedges are the clubs you replace least and benefit from most. MyGolfSpy's lab data shows spin drops measurably after 75 rounds of heavy wedge use. If your current Vokeys are two-plus generations old, this is where your money should go before drivers. Expect pricing around $180 per wedge.

Today's Golfer ran 62 balls through a swing robot and the Wilson Staff Model X won more awards than any other model in the test, earning medals for tee-to-green performance at three swing speeds, approach play, and short game spin. At $50/dozen it's priced with the Pro V1 but the data says it deserves to be. If you haven't tried it, buy a sleeve before committing to another season of brand loyalty.

Callaway's next-gen Quantum drivers are available for pre-order in Triple Diamond, Triple Diamond Max, and Max configurations. GolfWRX's launch report showed competitive ball speeds, but independent robot testing hasn't dropped yet. My advice: wait for the MyGolfSpy Most Wanted results before paying full price. If you're gaming an Ai Smoke, the gains will be marginal at best.

Wilson quietly launched the next generation of its FitAi platform, a data-driven online fitting tool built entirely in-house. It won't replace a proper in-person fitting, but for golfers who've never been fitted at all, it's a solid starting point and costs nothing. Available now at Wilson's website.

ALSO THIS WEEK

McConnell Golf signed a 20-year lease extension with Raleigh Golf Association and committed $3.5 million to renovate Raleigh's oldest public course. New irrigation, new greens (finally switching to Bermuda), and a 60-bay lit driving range are all part of the plan. Arnold Palmer played RGA as a Wake Forest student in the '50s, and the course has been hanging on by a thread for years. The renovation is expected to wrap by 2026. The board is also considering selling 43 acres for affordable housing, but McConnell says that won't impact the main 18. At $22 for a walking round, this is the most affordable tee time in Raleigh. Good to see it survive.

Pinehurst confirmed that No. 11, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, is under construction at Pinehurst Sandmines and slated for a Fall 2027 opening. Coore describes the terrain as "choppy, ridgey ground" with old sand-mining spoil piles reclaimed by nature. It'll be a dramatic contrast to Doak's No. 10 next door. A pro shop and locker room open at Sandmines this June, with a restaurant following in August.

The 2026 ACC Women's Golf Championship is headed to Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington, April 16-19, with semifinals and finals streamed on ACC Network Extra. Meanwhile, UNCW hosts the River Landing Classic this week in Wallace. NC State's Marie Madsen is ranked 13th nationally in the Clippd individual rankings.

ALSO THIS WEEK

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