Russell Knox may not have been firing on all cylinders recently but the Scot believes he can sneak under the radar and make an assault on the US Open title at Erin Hills this week.
The 31-year-old has travelled to Wisconsin with a spring in his step after signing off from the FedEx St Jude Classic with a closing 67, his best round since he had a 66 in round two of April’s RBC Heritage.
While his final round on Sunday night was only good enough for a share of 37th, it was an encouraging sign heading into the second major of the men’s season following an erratic run which has led to the usually dependable Knox missing six of his last 11 cuts.
This will be Knox’s third appearance in a US Open and he has made the weekend on both his previous outings.
Erin Hills may be a step into the unknown but the two-time PGA Tour winner is up for the challenge and is hoping the injection of confidence he received at the weekend can help him make a major statement.
“Would I be a surprise winner, absolutely,” said Knox, who sits in 39th spot on the world rankings. “But I have beaten everyone in that field before, including going down the stretch in Shanghai with Dustin Johnson who is defending this week.
“So, there is no one competing that I feel intimidates me and from that standpoint there is no concern. Also, I know how to win having done it out here twice. All I need a little sniff and away I will go.
“A US Open is good for me as I drive the ball straight. If I get a good week where I am driving the ball straight and keeping the ball in play then I would say the US Open is my best chance at a major.
“Clearly, I have not had the results I wanted leading into this US Open. All I need is that little thing to grab onto and I’m confident it will be game on. I don’t want to under achieve like I have been of late.”
Meanwhile, Daniel Berger’s successful defence of the St Jude Classic title has led to him moving up to 24th in the updated world rankings.
On the women’s front, meanwhile, Lydia Ko’s 85 week reign at the top of the world order was ended as Ariya Jutanugarn leapfrogged the New Zealander with victory in the LPGA Tour’s Manulife Classic.
The 21-year-old from Thailand, who triumphed in a three-way play-off, becomes the second youngest player after Ko to become world No 1.
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