VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP

March 20, 2025

Nico Echevarria

Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead)

Quick Quotes

Q. Was there a point in the round where you felt the course starting to noticeably get tougher with the wind?

NICO ECHEVARRIA: Yeah, it got tough probably when we were teed off 10 probably on our 16th hole. It started blowing and it kept blowing even more and it got probably the hardest was on hole 3 and 4. That's a hard stretch. The second, third and fourth hole are very hard, and 5 is probably one of the hardest par-5s on the PGA TOUR.

Q. Would you say two, three club wind on some of those, how many, like how much?

NICO ECHEVARRIA: I hit 5-iron on hole 4 and it will probably be between a 6 and a 7. Probably a 7. So, yeah, two full clubs.

Q. When there's a week like this with the wind disparity did you think early in the week at all that you were hoping to get early early/late or does your mind --

NICO ECHEVARRIA: I didn't check the weather until yesterday, yesterday morning and I saw that there was going to be maybe a difference in which wave you were, and luckily we were in the hopefully we're in the correct one.

Q. Billy said that he was surprised at how receptive the greens were. Did you, were you surprised as well at having so many scoring opportunities and do you expect it to change as the weekend goes on?

NICO ECHEVARRIA: I noticed a little inconsistency in some of the greens some were very soft and a couple downwind and I think No. 2 is the firmest green on the course.

Q. Exposed?

NICO ECHEVARRIA: Yeah, it's exposed, and that took a big, big hop. So, yeah, overall they're a little softer than we thought they were going to be.

Q. Do you think they're going to get a little bit more fiery as it goes on?

NICO ECHEVARRIA: All depends on how windy it will get tomorrow. I would say during the week end they will get firm and even faster.

Q. Was there a point last fall in your progression and practice where something clicked in your mind, like I got this, I'm good that propelled you or was it more of a gradual climb?

NICO ECHEVARRIA: I would say gradual and I started getting more in position of winning tournaments and teeing off in last groups that some sort of belief you start feeling comfortable out there and it was that, I think.

Q. Is there anything like outside of mechanical practice that has helped you, do you think?

NICO ECHEVARRIA: Mental. Mental practice, mental toughness, I guess.

Q. What's one mental practice, not to give away secrets but?

NICO ECHEVARRIA: A lot of breathing exercises. I've gotten a lot into breathing and breathing correctly and you can open a can of worms into that world, there's a lot of theories and things and I've liked it, I've liked learning new techniques.

Q. And you do that on the course?

NICO ECHEVARRIA: Yeah, mostly when things are not going my way, it's easy to not be in the moment and the breathing definitely gets you right back.