Tommy Fleetwood will put his experience of meditation to good use as he contends for a first major title in the US Open this weekend.
The European No.1 birdied three of his last five holes at Shinnecock Hills to card a superb second round of 66, the lowest score of the week so far leaving him five shots behind clubhouse leader Dustin Johnson.
The 27-year-old from Southport finished fourth at Erin Hills last year and will draw on that experience as he looks to become only the third Englishman – after Tony Jacklin and Justin Rose – to win the US Open since 1924.
But his penchant for meditation will also come in handy for what is traditionally the toughest of the game's four major championships.
"I haven't done it much recently actually, I should be doing it more, but I am quite good at it," Fleetwood said. "I'm a patient person and honestly this kind of course and conditions and tournament, they almost pull you into the present anyway.
"All that's going to happen if you start thinking ahead is you're going to think how tough it's going to be. Or if you do think of maybe chances that you're going to have, any slight loss of concentration and you're going to make a mess.
"You can't do anything but focus on what you're doing at the time, and that just seems to have a good effect on me sometimes. I can do the patience bit. You've just got the golf to do then. If you can put those two together, you do have a good combination.
"I was lucky enough to have one of the best weeks of my life last year and I've had a good round today. But two more days left to go so hopefully, we can just keep it going."
Fleetwood's patience was sorely tested by being six over par after 15 holes of the first round, but he played the remaining three in one under for a 75, on a day when the scoring average was 76.47.
"I was on a bad run of bogeys but managed to grab a birdie in the last three and shoot 66 today and all of a sudden, you're pretty much in contention," he added.
"It can switch like that and I think you just have to keep in mind that you never know what's going to happen, especially in a US Open or an Open at home. You don't know what the weather is going to do and how difficult it's going to get.
"So as long as you keep going and hang in there, something might happen."
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