Seamus Power closed out with a four-under 66 that helps fasten his position inside the FedEx ‘Next 10’, while Colombian Nico Echavarria held off Justin Thomas and Max Greyserman to secure a one-stroke victory at the Zozo Championship at Narashino Country Club on the outskirts of Tokyo.
A disappointing finish to round three saw Power make double bogey-sevens on consecutive par-5s and effectively relinquish all hope of capturing his third PGA Tour title, but with his place in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational at Riviera yet to be secured, each ranking point is crucial so there was plenty to play for.
Two early birdies were followed by a bogey on the fourth, but he got that shot back again on the par-5 sixth and made the turn at -3 for the day. It was a similar story on the back nine, with birdies on 11 and 15 followed by a dropped shot on 16, but his final stroke of the week would be a 23-footer that he rolled in for birdie on the 72nd hole, and it lifted him into a three-way tie for 13th that maintains his position at 52nd in the FedEx Rankings with just three events remaining.
At the top of the leaderboard, Echavarria began the day with a two-stroke lead over Thomas and a three-stroke advantage over Greyserman and, as expected, the winner came from the final three-ball.
Echavarria, a Colombian who played at the University of Arkansas, birdied two of the final three holes — including the 18th — to add to the title he won last year at the Puerto Rico Open.
Echavarria said the victory last year helped build his confidence.
“I took a lot from that and just kept myself calm,” he told the Golf Channel. “It was very fun, that was a lot of fun with these two guys battling it out.”
‘It’s been a lot of work, it’s been a lot of rough weeks,’ he added. “But moments like this are the ones that make everything better. It’s the second win on the PGA Tour, not a lot of people get to win two times on the PGA Tour.”
Thomas, who played in the final threesome with Greyserman and Echavarria, closed with a 66. He was trying to win his first Tour title since the 2022 PGA Championship, which was his 15th PGA Tour victory.
“Obviously bummed and disappointed, but I played so well,” Thomas said. “I played plenty well enough to win the tournament. Hit so many good putts today that just didn’t go in, that’s the difference.”
Greyserman, trying for his first Tour win, took a one-shot lead with a 30-foot birdie on the 14th — his only birdie on the back nine. He closed with a 65 and has been runner-up in three of his last five Tour events.
He’s a close friend of Echavarria’s. But the loss, of course, hurt.
“You know, I didn’t quite execute down the stretch when I needed to. I mean, Nico stepped up there and he hit a great second shot (on 18). He earned it.”
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