Phil Mickelson may have experienced one of the biggest disappointments of his career at The Open Championship, but he still believes he can carry momentum into this week at Baltusrol Golf Club.
The American was millimetres from an opening 62 at Royal Troon two weeks go and closed with a bogey-free 65 for a 17 under total that would have been good enough to win many a Major Championship.
But Henrik Stenson tore up the record books in a closing 63 to finish three shots clear at the top of the leaderboard after one of the greatest final-day battles golf has ever seen.
Mickelson found it hard to hide his disappointment in Scotland and while he admits an 11th runner-up finish in a Major still stings, he is convinced similar form will bring him a second victory here in the US PGA Championship after his 2005 triumph.
"I think that any time you enter a tournament with the results in mind, you never play your best," he said.
What I want to do is just play to that level that I played at the British Open. I have to try to believe that it will be enough this time - Phil Mickelson
"So that's kind of the goal and the game plan, to not really do too much, to not try to force the issue but to just go play and trust that I'm hitting a lot of good shots, which I have been, and trust that my putter has been good and that I'll make some putts and just try to go shoot a number and not try to worry about it. But that's easier said than done."
Jordan Spieth can sympathise with Mickelson after being beaten by Jason Day's brilliant 20 under par total at this event last season following his wins at the Masters Tournament and US Open, and finishing in the top five at The Open Championship.
That ramped up expectations on the 22 year old and he admits he is trying to play with more freedom as he goes in search of the third leg of the career Grand Slam.
"I've quickened my step," he said.
I've gotten back to kind of the gun slinger, the way that I grew up playing, which is just step up and hit it - Jordan Spieth
"I went from over-dissecting shots to really feeling like less is more.
"Golf is a game where you smack it, go up to the next one and smack it again and you count it up at the end. Simplifying things has really been the trend recently. It's really helped me."
Bubba Watson is another player carrying American hopes in Springfield and the two-time Masters winner has enjoyed a few days away from golf in a five-week period including two Majors and the Olympics.
The 2010 runner-up opened a sweet shop in his home state of Florida last week and did not swing a club between arriving back from Scotland and touching down in New Jersey.
It's called Bubba's Sweet Spot. It's a candy shop - fudge, ice cream, candy, things like that. Who doesn't like candy and fudge and ice cream? So I'm spending the most money in there - Bubba Watson
"I played golf on Sunday, had a good break getting ready for the three tournaments in a row, one of them happens to be the Olympics.
"It's one of those things. We knew it starting the year that we were going to have that. So I tried to prepare for it and get ready for it and try to get back to the challenge of getting back to Major golf real fast.
"I didn't impress anybody at Troon, so hopefully here I can impress some people."
