If the capacity to meet dispassionately with disaster is all that Rudyard Kipling cracked it up to be then Russell Knox seems to be better placed than most to deal with what is arguably golf’s toughest challenge in the coming week.

The American-based Scot, who claimed the greatest triumph of his career just eight months ago at the WGC Champions tournament in China, has received huge acclaim for the way he handled the potentially humiliating experience of registering a nine at the treacherous 17th island hole at Sawgrass during last month’s TPC.

The way in which he reacted, encouraging the galleries to raise the roof as he rattled in a long putt to avoid making double figures before making light of it all on social media afterwards, would suggest that he has the right mindset to cope with Oakmont, toughest of all America’s championship courses, set up in US Open mode.

Having had time to reflect upon what happened he remains phlegmatic.

“Golf is a game that punches you in the face over and over and over and over again,” the 30-year-old observed.

“The people who do well are those who can take the punches and deliver the odd one back. You lose almost every week.

“It was one of those really unfortunate things that happened to me (at Sawgrass). I guess you don’t know how you’re going to react until it happens. I decided to look on the funny side rather than the depressing side. Which I guess is a good thing.”

Rather than dwell on the negative impact he is minded to focus on the way he performed before and after during what is one of the US tour’s most prestigious events, while absorbing the lesson in the right way.

“It will make me stronger. I played 71 holes of excellent golf in that tournament. A par on that hole and, I believe, I would have finished second,” Knox noted.

“So I know how well I played. It was just one of those things. I probably should have gone to the drop zone after my first shot went into the water. I didn’t do that and it cost me a few more.

“I will learn from that and I hopefully won’t do that again, because it really is a horrible feeling.”

That Knox is the lone representative of the home of golf taking part in the event is the latest indictment of the performance of those charging with developing its players during the past couple of decades, while a glance at his own major record – making just one cut in five attempts - suggests it is unlikely that Scottish interest will be great come the latter stages. However his exposure has also been limited and having shown a capacity to learn quickly from experience he believes he may have hit upon one important element in the way he prepares for them.

“One thing I have struggled with is the practice days,” Knox explained.

“On most PGA Tour and European Tour events there is a pro-am on the Wednesday so you tend to travel on the Monday, practice on the Tuesday and play the pro-am on the Wednesday.

“On a major there is no pro-am so I have tended to get there too early on the Monday and play too much from Monday to Wednesday.

“I can be over-prepared and put too much emphasis into practice rounds and getting to know the course. I don’t think it is that important to do that. In the majors so far I have been slightly tired before I tee up on the Thursday.

“I need to get the right balance of preparation and practice to really feel refreshed and ready to go. I feel I have done a really poor job of that in the past and I am going to try my best not to make that error in the coming weeks.

“It is difficult because you are so excited to play in the majors. It is such a buzz when you get there and you feel like you should be on the course all the time (but) there is a massive fine line between being over-prepared and too tired. That is something that is going to be key for me.

“When I won in China I had only played the course once before Thursday. I didn’t practice at all on the Wednesday and went on to win. Maybe my magic formula is less is more.”

That may be particularly important at a course like Oakmont which has a reputation for being both physically and mentally demanding.

“I have never been there but I have heard a lot of horror stories,” said Knox.

“Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar were having a conversation about it and I tried to get in on that. They said the fairway bunkers are extremely penal. If you drive it in one of those you are more than likely just hacking it out… similar to a pot bunker in links golf.

“I know the golf course is going to be brutally difficult but that’s quite right.

“It is the US Open, it needs to be difficult. That is why it produces the best winners.”

What Knox has been working on is getting his head right for this particular competition where, traditionally, par means par more than at any other event the top players contest.

“The US Open is one of those tournaments you have to change your mindset for,” said Knox.

“Not that I’m experienced in it, having only played one of them, but where at other times two, three or four under you might be playing really well on a US Open course one or two over might be a great score. You have to make kind of an attitude adjustment there. More disciplined players tend to win that type of tournament.”

The 116th US Open gets underway at Oakmont on Thursday.