Before they turned pro: Austin Eckroat
04 Mar 2024
by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com
see also: Austin Eckroat Rankings
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Austin Eckroat with OSU Coach Alan Bratton (OSU Athletics photo)
After an accomplished amateur career at Oklahoma State University, Austin Eckroat is now a winner on the PGA Tour. Eckroat won the 2024 Cognizant Classic by three shots after finishing 17-under, shooting rounds of 65-67-68-67.
He got through seven holes on Sunday before play was suspended and returned on Monday to finish his final 11 holes. He shot 2-under on Monday and 4-under 67 total in his final round to secure the win, playing in the second to last group.
Eckroat's score to par of 17-under was the lowest at the tournament since Justin Leonard shot 24-under in 2003. This was Eckroat's 50th career start on the PGA Tour.
Min Woo Lee and Erik Van Rooyen finished runner-up and three shots back at 14-under.
Eckroat finished in solo fifth place at the 2021 Big 12 Championships, and finished in solo seventh place at the 2021 NCAA Division I Central Regional. He also finished T17 at the 2021 NCAA Division I Championships.
He finished runner-up at the 2019 Oklahoma State Amateur and won the 2019 Cabo Collegiate, one of the top collegiate tournaments of the spring schedule. He also made the match play portion of the 2019 U.S. Amateur, falling to Julien Sale in the round of 64 in 19 holes. Eckroat also finished T8 at the 2019 NCAA Division I Championships and in solo second place at the 2018 Pacific Coast Amateur.
As a junior golfer, Eckroat won the prestigious Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and was the medalist at the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur. He lost in the quarterfinals to future teammate Matthew Wolff.
Eckroat finished runner-up at the 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson, one shot behind Jason Day, and in the final round of the 2023 U.S. Open, he tied the 9-hole record of 29. He finished T10.
Amateur Victories
2015 Scott Robertson Memorial, Oklahoma Junior Boys
2016 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley
2018 Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate
2019 Cabo Collegiate
International Competition
2019 Palmer Cup
2021 Walker Cup