Playing out of the third-to-last twosome, second-round co-leader and World No. 407 Austin Cook styled a 5-under-par 33-33=66 in the final round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open to match Matthew Wolff (66) and overnight co-leader and past champ Martin Laird (68) on 23-under 261, and then was eliminated with a Laird birdie (from 22'11") on the second playoff hole, the par-3 17th.
This was the 29-year-old’s fourth Shriners and second cash, joining a T20 on debut in 2018, and his first career playoff appearance. He drops to 1-for-3 as a 36-hole leader/co-leader but does claim his first top 10 since T4 at the 2019 Barbasol 24 starts ago. Overall, the Arkansas alum records his second career top-3 finish in 85 events, first since his win at the 2018 RSM Classic during his rookie campaign 71 starts ago. For the week, he carded rounds of 63-65-67-66 and totaled two eagles and 22 birdies versus three bogeys. In the finale, the Arkansas native found eight (of 14) fairways and 16 greens in regulation, gaining 2.402 strokes approaching, 1.277 around and 3.717 tee-to-green. He squared a lone bogey-4 at 14 (missed par-saver from 6'2"), outpaced by six birdies at 6, 9, 12, 13, 15 and 17, three from between 12 and 39 feet. Cook, who missed his birdie try on the second playoff hole from 24'2", posted 1.717 putts per GIR and 0.556 SG: Putting, lowlighted by a 3-putt par at the par-5 16th from 64'9".