Nico Echavarria is set to honour a pledge to his wife after winning the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, securing a £1.3 million prize. The Colombian golfer, who married Claudia in November, had promised to get a dog upon his third career victory.
Echavarria, 31, described the promise as necessary because 'a dog is expensive'. The couple plan to get a Bernedoodle, a breed also owned by fellow golfer Min Woo Lee. The win also earned Echavarria an invitation to The Masters in April.
Echavarria defeated Shane Lowry by two strokes, despite Lowry holding a three-shot lead with four holes to play. Lowry expressed disappointment at not winning in front of his four-year-old daughter, Ivy, who was watching for the first time.
Reflecting on his victory, Echavarria said: 'I didn't have my best off the tee, but I was able to manage. I had some good breaks. To win out here, sometimes you have to have good breaks if you're not Scottie Scheffler.'
