Nicolás Echavarría, ready for a US Open with a very tough field and with Scottie Scheffler as a strong candidate

Fresh off his PGA Championship crown, American world number one Scottie Scheffler is the favorite at the US Open, which begins this Thursday at the challenging Oakmont course in Pennsylvania, where Colombian Nicolás Echavarría will be playing his third Grand Slam tournament of 2025.

Echavarría will have a key test at Oakmont heading into the final stretch of the season, where he hopes to secure his spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs and give himself the chance, for the first time, to compete in both the aforementioned final stage and the British Open, the last major tournament of the year, for which he has not yet qualified.

"It's a course I really liked, very complicated and punishing if you hit the ball poorly, but a good strategy will be key both from the tee and the fairway, to give yourself a chance of making it to the weekend and performing well, like the one I want to do," Echavarría said.

Although he hasn't won this season, the Antioquian is in good form: he's ranked 63rd in the season points list (FedEx Cup) and 55th in the world rankings.

"I've been doing things well, and I'm aware that I haven't been able to close things out. It's been a bit difficult for me to get off to a good start in the final rounds, and then it's harder to recover. However, this is golf, and I'm confident that another victory can come soon thanks to the work I've been putting in," he added.

This Thursday, Echavarría will begin playing at 12:14 p.m. Colombian time, alongside Americans Denny McCarthy and Sam Burns. On Friday, he'll be in the same threesome, starting at 6:29 a.m.

Scheffler, meanwhile, arrives on a winning streak of three titles in his last four events and is looking to become the first player to win back-to-back majors since Jordan Spieth in 2015.

Scheffler, however, faces a formidable challenge this week at Oakmont, a 6,740-meter course feared for its ultra-fast greens, tricky bunkers and thick, tall rough.

"If there's any weakness in your game, (Oakmont) will reveal it very quickly," warned the world number one, who will try to win the crown defended by his compatriot Bryson DeChambeau, champion in 2024 and one of the stars of LIV Golf.

With AFP and press office