Borges: Rickie Fowler fair PGA game

But that’s also become a golf trend elsewhere. Call it a preview of Thursday and Friday, when McIlroy and Spieth will be grouped with British Open champion Zach Johnson.

Mickelson has five major championships, but none in the U.S. Open where he has a record six runner-up finishes: Payne Stewart’s late hold in 1999, Tiger Woods’ Bethpage win in 2002, Retief Goosen’s second U.S. Open in 2004, Phil’s Winged Foot collapse in 2006, another Bethpage second in 2009 and a final-round crumble in 2013 at Merion. “We had a good time with it. And we kept Phil quiet most of the day”.

All 18 holes at Whistling Straits offer views of Lake Michigan.

Brandt Snedeker sure hopes so, because it would give him a chance of winning.

“I know Phil loves getting in there, grinding it out, trying to hit a few shots that matter, make some putts when he needs to”, Fowler said.

“I heard that, read something about it this week. He takes in information really, really quickly, and he can go from very broad to very narrow and center in on it, whether he’s looking at a yardage book, or whether he’s played the hole only once”.

The Masters is played every year at Augusta National.

Course knowledge can be just as important as form at St. Andrews. I know the game is there.

For years, the PGA Championship was viewed (and perhaps still is) as the weakest link among the four majors, with the easiest course setup leading to the lowest scores.

“But Rory McIlroy did win two majors around those times, so him becoming the world No.1, and holding his position there was talked about more”.

“We were just having fun”, he said of his Wednesday practice round. “You’re not going to get by with anything less than your best”. Masters, you’ve got to hit it high and long. In the first three majors, he is a combined 37 under par – 14 shots better than the next best player, Louis Oosthuizen. Snedeker has made 32 starts in major championships.

After he joined exclusive company in Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in finishing in the top five of all four majors in a calendar year – achieving that feat in 2014 – Fowler’s efforts at the big tournaments in 2015 have been comparatively disappointing.

That’s the prevailing feeling at Whistling Straits – from everyone who hasn’t won a major championship yet. “And those are their wonderful players”. Some will.

Mickelson, ranked 23rd in the world, and Fowler partnered against Spieth and Thomas, with Spieth and Thomas nipping them 1-up in the overall while Mickelson and Fowler rallied to win 1-up on a press that began on 17. The other three have recently followed, especially the US Open. Numerous times Tuesday, he pointed out hole placements from when the 2010 and 2004 PGA Championships were played here.