Reigning US PGA Championship winner Jimmy Walker feels he is capable of putting together a strong display when he defends his crown at Quail Hollow Club...
Walker held off Jason Day to win his first Major Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club by one stroke last year but has struggled for form ever since that victory.
He was diagnosed with Lyme disease in April - having suffering with the symptoms since November 2016 - and despite only recording one top ten finish in 2017, the World Number 38 showed some encouraging signs at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational last week.
"It feels pretty good," he said when asked about how his game feels. "I had 54 solid holes last week and two nines that weren't very good. I was making some birdies, I was leading the WGC. Things are looking good, honestly.
"We just keep working and we keep moving forward and we keep trying to get as healthy as possible and try to get back to 100 percent and just go from there.
"I've got a lot more energy. I'm able to practice more and that's just been something I've been kind of lacking. I do feel good on that front. But there are a lot of players out here that could win a major on any given week."
On his illness, he added: "I was ready for a little break. But we seem to play golf 24/7, 365 anymore, and every event counts and everything means so much.
"Then to get sick, not feel well, not be able to work, not be able to practice and then have to take some time off for medication. You get that sensation like: 'wow, I'm really falling back.' But we've just taken the mindset that it is what it is, and it's just the way it is."
Walker became the fifth player in a row to win their maiden Major title, and that was extended to seven successive first-time winners when Sergio Garcia and Brooks Koepka won The Masters Championship and the US Open Championship respectively.
Jordan Speith ended that run at The Open Championship last month but the 38 year old admitted he would not be surprised if one of his rivals start that procedure again.
"There are a lot of players out here that could win a major on any given week," Walker added.
"Now there's 80 guys that can win, whatever. There's a lot of really good players from all over the world, and I think everybody here that's playing has got a real good shot, especially when you start seeing all this first-time stuff happening."
World Number One Dustin Johnson is hoping to use home comforts to his advantage as he looks to claim his second Major Championship of his career.
The 33 year old was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, which is just 90 miles south of Quail Hollow Club and he believes the local support will be out in the masses as they greet the world's best golfers.
"I grew up about an hour down the road," Johnson said. "For this week, my family will be up watching, supporting me. I've got a lot of fans in this area and then obviously
Columbia is not that long of a drive.
"It's kind of a home game for me, so it's nice. I think Charlotte is a great city to host this championship. We get a lot of support out here during the event.
"I think this week, being a major championship here at Quail Hollow, the crowds are going to be enormous. Even yesterday, there was a ton of people out following us in the practice rounds.
"So I think it's going to be an exciting week and the golf course is in perfect condition."
Johnson started 2017 in blistering form with three top-ten finishes and three successive victories at the Genesis Open, WGC-Mexico Championship and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, all inside the year's first eight events before a back injury on the eve of The Masters Championship, ruled him out action for six weeks.
His form dipped on his return with only one top ten finish in his next six tournaments but he has responded by finishing in tied for eighth at the RBC Canadian Open and joint 17th at Firestone in the last events.
"It is frustrating what happened when I was playing so well, but there's nothing I can do about that," he said about his back injury.
"Things happen, and so now I've just got to fight and practice and work hard to get back to where I was. I feel like it's really close to being back to how good it was before the Masters. I feel like the golf game's in really good shape right now."
