Phil Mickelson spends PGA practice round trash talking Jordan Spieth and Rory

Last year Phil Mickelson used a final-round 62 at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational as the catalyst that sparked a run up the leaderboard at the PGA Championship the following week.

“I feel like my game has evolved in a way that has me nearly ready for any situation”. It makes things matter and count a little bit more, just to kind of get the juices going, getting ready for the week.

Rickie Fowler says that patience is vital as he prepares for the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

“[It’s] just all building kind of a process into winning a major”.

Fowler, 26, said his wins in May (The Players) and July (Scottish Open) have eased the major pressure slightly. “You don’t mind if you have to wait a few minutes because you can just have a look at the lake, at the dunes”.

Now, back at the site of his first big career triumph, Kaymer will put himself back in the mix once again.

Marc Leishman is hoping he can build off making the three-man playoff at the British Open while Steven Bowditch is riding some good form, the second-best Australian on the US tour this year behind Day. So that’s how I’m looking at it.

“It can help. I don’t think there’s really any correlation”.

With Jordan Spieth winning the Masters and US Open and Zach Johnson victorious in the Open at St Andrews, Fowler is among the home players hoping to cement US dominance in the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. There would probably be more pressure if I hadn’t won this year. I played well enough in a couple of them to have a chance to win or it could have been a win in past years.

“We talk a lot of trash out there”. But they got us. We have a good time, a lot of good laughs, nothing too serious. Jordan and Justin got us 1-up. And ultimately putting myself in a position going into the weekend to be in contention.

Where Fowler stands right now is seventh in the world… seventh and waiting.