The word “validation” was on Austin Eckroat’s mind Saturday in Los Cabos, Mexico, after he posted a six-under 66 and completed three rounds of the World Wide Technology Championship just one behind a trio of leaders.

Winner earlier this year at the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, Eckroat was determined to show that his three-stroke victory at PGA National, his maiden PGA Tour title, was not of the fluke variety. On Sunday, he invoked that word again. Validation. That’s because he got it. Thanks to 11 birdies in a final-round 63 at El Cardonal at Diamante, Eckroat joined a list of multiple winners this year with a one-stroke victory over Justin Lower and Carson Young.

Eckroat, in fact, became the seventh player with two or more wins in 2024 after he posted 24-under 264 on the Tiger Woods-designed layout. Young and Lower each shot 65 and collected their first career runner-up finishes. They had begun the final round tied for the lead with Nico Echavarria, who was going for his second win in as many weeks following his triumph in Japan at the Zozo Championship.

“Oh, man, that’s probably some of the best golf I’ve ever played. Just from the start putts were going in,” said Eckroat, 25, who was playing in just his 70th tour event. “I don’t know, it was automatic out there today I guess is how you could call it. It’s crazy I only won by one shooting nine under par today from one back. Obviously, everybody was playing well; it was a good battle.”

A huge gamer who spent most of his post-round hours this week playing the latest version of Call of Duty, Eckroat was girded for battle. He is the second player in the last three events to blow up the hopes of fall hopefuls by collecting 500 FedEx Cup points he didn’t need. Eckroat finished 45th in the regular season, so he not only has his exemption status locked up, but he also is qualified for all of the 2025 signature events. J.T. Poston turned a similar trick a few weeks ago at the Shriners Children’s Open.

What made Eckroat’s victory more special—beyond the $1.296 million payday—is his role as a brand ambassador for World Wide Technology. A lot of ‘W’s to go around. No question which was the most important.

“I think it kind of validates the season that I had, just a great way to cap off and end the year,” said the Oklahoma native. “Yeah, it was really special to do it at an event where the title sponsors, I’m an ambassador of their company. A cool week.”

Eckroat was cool from the start with birdies on six of his first eight holes. He seemed to have things well in hand when he coaxed in a four-foot birdie putt—his 10th birdie of the day—at the par-5 14th to move four clear of the field. Young stayed close, however, and his three-footer at the short 16th cut that margin in half only to see Eckroat bury a 20-footer at the 17th for a three-shot cushion heading to the par-5 home hole.

He could coast in on the coast. But he didn’t. Eckroat, who won a collegiate event in 2019 in Cabo, had to go and make things interesting.

The Oklahoma State product missed the green long and left with his second shot and then committed the cardinal sin of leaving his pitch up the steep slope short after catching it heavy. The ball came trundling back to him.

“Honestly, I was never nervous today, which was really weird. Not until the very end when I chunked the chip on the 18th hole, that’s when the nerves started to come in and the shakes started to happen,” he admitted.

He managed to pitch his fourth shot on the green but lipped out the par try from 10 feet. With the door open, Young could tie with an eagle. He gave himself a chance from 45 feet but his attempt veered well right of the hole.

“Yeah, I played really good today, I hit a bunch of good iron shots, especially on the back nine. I shot seven under so I played good; I can’t be too mad about it,” Young said. “Obviously, I didn’t win and congrats to Austin. That was one hell of a round today. I just missed a few six-, eight-foot putts coming down the stretch on the back nine, and that seemed to be the difference there.”

Given his current form, Young was looking forward to this week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship. Eckroat, meanwhile, had to start thinking immediately about home improvement. He and his wife Sally just moved into a new house, and, well, he has a promise to keep.

“We made a joke earlier this week … we don’t have a pergola in the backyard, and I said if I top 10, we can get a pergola,” he said. “So I guess we’re going to get a pergola in our backyard.”

Dude, there’s no guessing. She’s been watching you play Call of Duty every night in the hotel room. You’re buying her a pergola.

As for more long-range goals, Eckroat can put validation aside and try vaulting to loftier goals. He can think of a few.

“Obviously, be a major champion. That’s probably the biggest next step would be to win a major,” Eckroat said. “Obviously on top of that, making the Ryder Cup next season would be a huge goal of mine. I still haven’t made it to the Tour Championship, so making it to East Lake would be an awesome cherry on top to a great season. Those are probably the three main goals going into next season.”

We wish him the best in those pursuits. Especially if Sally has more on her list after the pergola.

Main Image: Hector Vivas