After a long day at Sedgefield, Nico Echavarría reflects on a strong third round and shares how improved putting, mental focus, and a calm mindset have kept him in contention at the Wyndham Championship. Set to tee off in the final group on Sunday, Echavarría opens up about his preparation, working with his coach and sports psychologist, and why he won’t be holding back in the final round: “We play tournaments to win.”
🔔 Hear how he’s staying composed and confident heading into a high-stakes Sunday.
All right, Nico, nice playing. Third round 64. Absolutely. How do you feel about your day and what were you able to do well today to stay in the mix? Yeah, it was uh it was a long day. Had to get up pretty early, but um it’s the best job in the world. So, um I think I was patient out there. I I hit some quality shots. I I made a lot of putts, which which felt good. and uh give myself a chance for tomorrow. I don’t know how many back I’m going to be, but but we’re probably we’re going to be in the final group, which is which is very cool. Does being you’ll be four, five, six back currently, five back, but only chasing one guy, does that feel different than if you’re like five back and like 15th place or is it all feel the same? I think might change a little, but at the end of the day, I’m I’m just going to worry what I’m doing. Um, as I said, try to hit the best shots I can and and try to hold the putts. Uh, and we’ll add it up after 18. And you, um, mentioned early in the week about wanting to talk to yourself like you would talk to your best friend. Were you able to keep that positive attitude out there today? Yeah, I was. Um, I think it’s no coincidence that I’ve made very few bogeies because I’ve still hit it in in the rough. I’ve I’ve been in trouble, but I’ve been able to chip out and be calm. Just try to just try to hit good shots and and it’s helped a lot. I finished the rounds and and I’ve been mentally fresh. I haven’t been stressed. Um so hopefully we can keep doing it tomorrow. How many holes did you have in your second round this morning? What’s that? How many holes did you have? I was uh I had to start on 14, which is not a fun T-OT. It was raining into the wind. It was I I wish I hit it yesterday, but they blew the horn when I was putting on 13. And the um strokes game putting your second this week. Is there anything you tweaked or adjusted or anything early in the week that kind of helped you dial in your putting? Yeah, we I had my coach, he left yesterday, but we we grind a little. Um, I didn’t had that great of a putting in Scottish and and and at the open. So, we had to fix some things of the stroke and and started feeling really good in the proam. I put it good and I knew like, okay, this is clicking and the first day I it it it was rewarding to see the work that we we put in the the first three days of the week uh in the tournament. Um, were you aware that at one point he was eight shots up on the field, Cam? Yeah. Yeah, I was. I saw that on I think it was probably on nine that I saw like I was in second place and I think I was losing by eight or seven. That’s not normal. Do um what’s Sedgefield like as a golf course when you’ve got to chase somebody like that? Um well, I said it I think I said it on Thursday. There’s, in my opinion, there’s only one way to play this golf course. Uh, it’s you only hit probably one driver off the tee on the front nine. You have to be hitting from the fairway. Um, so a lot of woods. Uh, and there’s a lot of chances if you’re putting uphill and leaving yourself in the right spot. What have you done to have a better attitude this week? How do you do that? I have my sports psychologist here and we’ve had some good conversations. Uh he and I and I was honest with him I think it was on Monday on Tuesday like hey I think I I’m being too harsh on myself when I don’t hit the the good shot or the perfect shot. I’ve been say like emotionally like a roller coaster up and down up and down. and uh I’ve just tried to be a little more stable in the middle and and it’s helped a lot. What’s your experience playing with? Have you played much with Cam? Maybe I’ve played once with him. Not much. He’s a great player. He hits it a long way. Um, clearly he’s he’s being aggressive off the tea and and it’s hard to do it out here, but he’s hitting fairways and he’s having short shots out there. And I think that’s probably why he’s he’s leading. He’s probably leading off the tea and and hitting it close. You made the comment over there that uh you like your chances. Why do you say that? Because I’ve been there before and I’ve I like being in this position. I I like being in the final group. I’m I’m not going to hide tomorrow. Uh and yeah, we play we play tournaments to win. Uh and I’m in the final group on Sunday. I that’s that’s why I put so much work into it.
