BILTMORE CHAMPIONSHIP

September 16, 2026

Nico Echavarria

The Cliffs at Walnut Cove

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Nico Echavarria, thank you for joining us. If we can get some comments on being he at the inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville.

NICO ECHAVARRIA: Yeah, truly a beautiful place. Reminds me a lot of back home with the mountains and the elevation. It's going to be a very fun week. Obviously we are as an international team using this week to prepare for next week in Chicago, so it's going to be a good preparation.

Q. How is the state of your game?

NICO ECHAVARRIA: It's good. Unfortunately didn't play very good in my last event at BMW. Overall it was a pretty good season I would consider.

Game feels like it's in a good spot right now.

Q. You won at Cognizant this year. Just recap the entire season for us if you could?

NICO ECHAVARRIA: Let's say we started good. Middle of the summer I was putting a lot of pressure on myself with the Presidents Cup situation.

But I liked it. I liked challenge and feeling. Like I wanted to get myself in the team and qualify without getting picked. Unfortunately didn't, but luckily I got picked. Yeah, it's been a good year. Kind of a weird playing-for-something year, so it's been exciting.

Q. Understand you guys made a trip to Medinah earlier. How did that go? What did you come away from there with?

NICO ECHAVARRIA: Yeah, we were seeing the golf course for the second time. We went there last year, maybe 20 of us.

It's a beautiful course. It was playing a lot softer than the year before that we went. We were trying some pairings, playing different formats, playing a little bit of pressure golf that we were going to feel.

Probably not going to be the same, but it was very good to be around the team.

Q. Given sort of the history of that event, you know what you guys are up against this year. What do you feel like this year maybe could change the them theme?

NICO ECHAVARRIA: I think the momentum is not going with the U.S. the few events that team golf has it.

Q. Right.

NICO ECHAVARRIA: We've talked about in the team of it's a little bit of David against Goliath. We're the underdogs. But we want to make history. The international team has never won in the United States.

So I think a way this group is kind of getting together as a family is probably going to be our best chance.

Q. And how does this week -- you said it helps you -- five of you are here; how does that help you?

NICO ECHAVARRIA: Yeah, got paired up with Corey and Ryo for me. A lot of us are staying together in an airbnb. I think that's something Geoff has done really well. He's made us a family. We've gotten very close with each other. It's that team bonding that can make a difference in these big events.

Q. You spoke earlier today on PGA Tour radio about how you worked with a mental coach in regards to preparing for the Presidents Cup, potentially getting picked and then just trying to shift to making it to the next event, playing well in the FedExCup. How have you noticed your mindset shift now that you have made the team?

NICO ECHAVARRIA: Well, just I've been pretty clear with him and talked about how nervous I'm going to be on that first tee or first session or that week overall.

But it's -- he's told me a lot of, you're fortunate to be feeling those nerves. You're fortunate to be here. Use it in your advantage. Use it to sharpen the focus.

So it's just a perspective on those feelings and those -- the mindset is huge for me.

Q. And outside of the mindset of it all, how have you noticed your preparation change since you got that phone call a few weeks ago that you made the team?

NICO ECHAVARRIA: Been trying different balls for maybe alternate shot. But overall I haven't prepared very differently for this event than I would any other event.

We're kind of using this week as preparation for how sharp we are. We didn't play for a few weeks, so I think playing this week for us is very important.

We have if I'm not wrong four or five of us playing this week, and Adam and Ryan are playing in Wentworth. So most of the team is playing this week, which is good.

It's a good sign that we're using this as preparation for something bigger next week.

Q. You mentioned that you're in an airbnb with a couple of the guys. How has that been so far this week?

NICO ECHAVARRIA: Good. Camilo was the one who brought that idea up. He booked the airbnb. We been hanging out and just spending some time with each other. It's been a lot of fun.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Nico.

NICO ECHAVARRIA: Thanks.