Nico Echavarria’s Strategic Golf Ball Switch Leads to Cognizant Classic Victory

Nico Echavarria secured his third PGA Tour victory at the 2026 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, a win significantly influenced by a recent equipment change. The key to his success? A switch to the Srixon Z-Star Diamond golf ball.

The Shift to Srixon Z-Star Diamond

During his post-tournament press conference, Echavarria revealed he transitioned from the firmer Srixon Z-Star XV to the softer Z-Star Diamond due to the firm greens at PGA National. “I changed to a different model given that the greens were firm, so I think that helped a lot with the control of coming into the green,” he explained. PGA Tour

A Considered Decision

This wasn’t a spontaneous decision. Echavarria signed with Srixon last offseason and initially tested both the Z-Star XV and Z-Star Diamond. Prior to joining Srixon, he used the Titleist Pro V1x, a firmer ball with significant spin. According to Srixon Director of Tour Operations Michael Jolly, the initial choice of the Z-Star XV was driven by Echavarria’s swing characteristics last year. “At times last season, he was much steeper and generating a lot of spin,” Jolly stated. “With both balls, he’s seeing less curve and more stability in the wind, which ultimately were the key factors in his decision to make the switch to Srixon overall.”

Testing and Validation

Echavarria first trialed the Diamond ball at the WM Phoenix Open, where the dry and firm conditions made it a suitable test environment. However, Jolly emphasized the challenges of testing golf balls early in the season due to varying course conditions, and grasses. “We know spin numbers at Phoenix are typically low, San Diego can be a bit unpredictable, and the different grasses from week to week often produce varying launch and spin profiles,” Jolly said. “All that makes it challenging for a player to not only switch golf balls, but to fully trust the data they’re seeing.”

The Cognizant Classic provided the ideal conditions for Echavarria to validate his choice. The tournament allowed him to assess the ball’s performance under competitive pressure and in conditions he trusted.

Performance Gains

Data revealed that while the ball’s performance off the tee remained consistent between the two models, the Z-Star Diamond provided approximately 300 RPMs of additional spin with his irons. “The biggest difference has really been with his irons throughout the bag, added stopping power combined with the ability to hit more shots in different windows,” Jolly added. “As he told us today, ‘I’ve just realized I can really play when I have more spin.’”

Echavarria confirmed he will continue using the Diamond ball moving forward, after finishing fourth in the field in SG: Approach during his win. Golfweek

A Trend on the PGA Tour

Echavarria’s success mirrors a similar outcome for Collin Morikawa, who won at Pebble Beach after switching to TaylorMade’s TP5x ball. This highlights a growing trend of players experiencing immediate success after making strategic golf ball changes.

Nico Echavarria’s Winning Equipment:

• Driver: Srixon ZXi Prototype (9 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana BB 73 TX shaft
• Fairway Woods: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees), with Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX 70 TX shaft, PXG Lightning (18 degrees), with Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green 80 TX shaft
• Irons: Srixon ZXi5 (4, 5), ZXi7 (6-PW), with Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 125 shafts
• Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50 degrees), with Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 125 shaft, (54, 60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts
• Putter: Odyssey Tri-Hot 5K #7
• Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond
• Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4 (full swing) / SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol Tour (putter)