The five players with most at stake Monday at Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches

After a water-logged Sunday at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, a Monday finish is upon us.

Severe weather in South Florida caused a delay of 3 hours, 28 minutes to Sunday's final round, meaning that 26 players will return Monday morning to conclude the week at PGA National's Champion course, with several potential outcomes in play – at the top of the leaderboard, and also for spots in next week's Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard via the Aon Next 10 and Aon Swing 5.

Second-year TOUR member Austin Eckroat carries a one-stroke lead into the Cognizant's final day. Eckroat stands 15-under total with 11 holes to play, one stroke clear of Erik van Rooyen, who carded a final-round 63 to get in the clubhouse at 14-under total. Jake Knapp stands 13 under (three holes to play), with Billy Horschel, Alex Noren and Shane Lowry still on the course at 12 under.

PGA National is known to produce drama, with the tournament regularly hanging in the balance as the leaders head to "The Bear Trap" on Sunday afternoon. This year, that drama will occur Monday morning, beginning at 8 a.m. ET.

Eckroat, Lowry and David Skinns shared the 54-hole lead at 13-under, with a three-shot gap between the rest of the chasers. As the final groups got underway in Sunday's twilight, the leaderboard shook up dramatically; Eckroat made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 4 and 5 to move in front, while the final pairing of Lowry (1 over through five) and Skinns (2 over through five) drifted back.

As a primer for a Monday finish at the Cognizant Classic, here is a look at five players to follow that have the most at stake:

1. Austin Eckroat

The second-year TOUR member from Oklahoma State wasn't fazed by the lengthy weather delay before his tee time Sunday, stuffing a wedge to 2 feet for an easy birdie at the par-4 fourth, followed by a laser-like mid-iron to 9 feet for birdie at the demanding par-3 fifth. It meant that Eckroat, 25, will sleep on the lead into Monday's final day at PGA National, as his fellow 54-hole co-leaders Lowry and Skinns each played the first five holes of Round 4 over par.

Eckroat played two years on the Korn Ferry Tour before earning his first TOUR card through the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Finals, after finishing No. 3 on the 2021 PGA TOUR University Ranking to earn direct Korn Ferry Tour membership. He finished No. 80 on the 2023 FedExCup Fall standings as a rookie to maintain exempt TOUR membership, quickly proving his mettle at the game's highest level, but with plenty of room to grow. Now he looks to punch up.

Eckroat led through 54 holes of last year's THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and carded a final-round 65, ultimately finishing second to Jason Day, who closed in 62. Eckroat relished that moment last spring, and he'll look to do the same Monday in South Florida.

"Just really that I can handle the situation," Eckroat said Sunday of lessons from THE CJ CUP. "Obviously I didn't come out on top, but I played really well. Then also there's a lot of guys still in it tomorrow. Kind of how Jason Day was. It's not like I'm just trying to beat the guys in the group behind me, and you can see that from guys playing so well today already."

With a victory, Eckroat would secure spots in the remainder of 2024 Signature Events, in addition to his first Masters invitation. Even if he doesn't win, Eckroat could still earn a spot at next week's Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard via the Aon Swing 5, as one of the top five FedExCup points earners across the Mexico Open at Vidanta and Cognizant Classic, not otherwise exempt.

It has been an efficient, well-paced rise in professional golf for the Oklahoma native, and the golf world could be his oyster Monday in South Florida.

2. Shane Lowry

Unfinished business has kept Lowry coming back to PGA National. The popular Ryder Cupper had the tournament in his grasp in 2022, but as he stood on the tee at the 72nd hole that afternoon, dark skies opened and rain pelted down. Sepp Straka was in the fairway some 330 yards ahead, his tee shot unimpeded by the elements, a mid-iron in his hand at the closing par 5, where he made a clinching birdie to win. Lowry made par, and it was over. Lowry called it “as bad a break as I’ve got in a while.”

“I always say golf never owes you anything,” Lowry said. “I came up short that day. I've come up short before. I've been on the better end of things before. You just go out there and do your best and what will be will be sort of thing.”

The Irishman is back in contention again, 12-under and three off the lead with 13 holes to play at the Cognizant Classic. Lowry’s Monday implications go beyond exacting revenge, though. Lowry missed the FedExCup Playoffs last year, which, to this point, has kept him out of the 2024 Signature Events. A top finish could qualify him for the Aon Swing 5. He would likely need a third-place finish or better to qualify. A win would rectify it entirely and give Lowry his first PGA TOUR title since the 2019 Open Championship.

3. David Skinns

Skinns earned his way back to the PGA TOUR through the Korn Ferry Tour last season but was running the risk of a quick return. With the first reshuffle coming in about a month, Skinns had yet to earn a single FedExCup point and risked getting buried in the priority ranking if he did not pick up his game.

The 42-year-old found it at the right time. After missing his first three cuts of the season, Skinns comfortably made the weekend and held his own on Saturday, firing a bogey-free 66 to finish 13-under and in a tie for the lead. Skinns drifted back Sunday with two bogeys in his first five holes, but he's still just four off the lead with 13 holes to play – at the very least, he's is in an ideal position to notch his first top-25 in 32 career TOUR starts. A strong final round could also secure Skinns a higher spot in the reshuffle, which will take place after the Valero Texas Open.

Skinns, though, is eyeing much more than just keeping his head above water. Skinns could make a late-career breakthrough with a special Monday. A third-place finish or better would put him in a good position to qualify for the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard via the Aon Swing 5. A win would make Skinns (42 years, 1 month, 2 days) the seventh-oldest first-time winner on the PGA TOUR and oldest since Greg Chalmers (42 years, 8 months, 23 days) won the 2016 Barracuda Championship.

“I've just been waiting a long time to be in this spot,” Skinns said. “It's more I'm excited to be here. I'm trying to make every moment as good as it can be. I'm just really excited.”

4. Jake Knapp

Knapp is safely into next week's Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, and all of 2024's remaining Signature Events, via last week's victory at the Mexico Open at Vidanta.

But the sweet-swinging TOUR rookie has a chance to boost his rising star in even more remarkable fashion Monday at the Cognizant: earn his first two TOUR titles in back-to-back starts.

Knapp stands 13-under total with three holes to play, two back of Eckroat. When it comes to PGA National and The Bear Trap, though, anything is possible. Knapp played his first 15 holes of the final round in 5 under, including back-to-back twilight birdies at Nos. 13 and 14 before a three-putt bogey from 69 feet at the par-3 15th hole. He'll have just three holes Monday to improve his odds at an unlikely victory, but after beginning the final round in 11th place, he now has just one player on the course (Eckroat) in his way, aside from van Rooyen in the clubhouse at 14-under.

Knapp needs to make one birdie at minimum for a chance, but it's a chance for back-to-back TOUR trophies. It took Knapp nearly eight years as a pro to earn his first TOUR card, but he has it now, and he's maximizing his opportunities. To say the least.

5. Min Woo Lee

Lee felt the weight of his own expectations to start the 2024 PGA TOUR season. While he captured the golf world’s hearts with his flashy apparel and witty social media persona, that never led to more internal pressure. His two worldwide wins this fall were when Lee’s aspirations started to grow.

Under that lens, Lee’s start to the PGA TOUR season has been underwhelming. He hasn’t missed a cut in three events but also hasn’t notched a top-20. That, and more, is within grasp at the Cognizant Classic.

A third-round 66 vaulted Lee into a tie for fourth at 10-under, his best 54-hole position on TOUR since he was in the final pairing with Scottie Scheffler at the 2023 PLAYERS Championship. He played his first seven holes of the final round in even par, leaving him five off the pace with 11 holes to play Monday. Winning might be a tall task, but it's doable.

Plenty of hype has been put on Lee since that breakthrough performance at TPC Sawgrass. He can ratify a lot of it with a come-from-behind victory at PGA National.

“I think I'm a great player, and I feel like I could come out here and win,” Lee said.

There are incentives to play for outside of a win. Like the others, Lee likely needs a third-place finish or better to jump into the Aon Swing 5. Lee has yet to play a Signature Event this season. He also has a reason to keep his world ranking as high as possible. Currently sitting No. 42, the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking through the Cognizant Classic will qualify for THE PLAYERS Championship.