LOS CABOS, Mexico — Nico Echavarria positioned himself for the chance to clinch back-to-back titles on the PGA Tour, carding a remarkable 9-under 63 on Friday during the World Wide Technology Championship. The calmer winds on the course contrasted sharply with the previous day’s conditions, allowing for lower scoring. Echavarria, who recently captured his first tour title at the Zozo Championship in Japan two weeks ago, is now tied for the lead with Max Greyserman at 12-under 132 at El Cardonal, which is designed by Tiger Woods.

“It was a very, very good round,” said the 30-year-old Colombian. “Everyone understood that the scores would be lower today with the change in wind.” During Friday’s round, Echavarria had an impressive five-hole run on the front nine where he earned 6 under thanks to an eagle and four birdies, and he maintained his momentum with three additional birdies on the back nine.

“The game is all about momentum,” Echavarria noted. “Making par on the third hole was crucial for me; I had a 10-footer for par that I sunk. This got my rhythm going. I followed it up with a birdie on the fourth hole, another on the fifth, and then an eagle on the sixth. I believe that par on three was exceptionally pivotal. I hit a few shots close to the pin and drained some long putts, even one from the bunker. You have to capitalize on any fortunate breaks you get.”

Max Greyserman also found success, eagling the par-5 18th to finish with a score of 64. “The wind was much calmer today, almost negligible at times,” Greyserman remarked. “The course was definitely more approachable today. If you executed your shots well, a lot of birdies were possible.”

The American had previously tied for second place behind Echavarria in Japan. “I thought to myself, ‘Here we go again. Let’s go!’” he added with enthusiasm.

In third place, Carson Young finished with a stellar score of 11 under after shooting a personal best of 61, which included 12 birdies against a single bogey. “The weather played a significant role in today’s performance,” Young said. “The lighter wind, coming from a slightly different direction, made the course more manageable.”

Other competitors included Dylan Wu, who shot a 65 to reach 10 under. Maverick McNealy, Austin Eckroat, and Kelly Kraft each shot 66, 67, and 67, respectively, finishing the day at 9 under.