Jon Rahm is hopeful his experience at Torrey Pines Golf Course can stand him in good stead as he heads into the weekend right in the mix at the 2021 U.S. Open Championship.
The Spaniard claimed his first professional win over this layout in 2017 and has since added a further four wins on the US PGA Tour to go with his six European Tour victories - including a record equalling four Rolex Series titles.
Rahm has a tendency to do well at events he has won before, with two victories at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and Open de España.
He was also on track for a successful defence of his Memorial Tournament title on the PGA Tour earlier this month before a positive Covid-19 test saw him withdrawn from the event while holding a six shot lead after 54 holes.
And while the World Number Three admits he believes in karma, he knows it will be up to him and not the universe if he is to claim a first Major Championship this week.
69 + 70 = Right in the mix. @JonRahmpga has himself in a strong position at the #USOpen pic.twitter.com/Yp7a6bvwOY
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 18, 2021
"Having played this course in every possible wind always helps," he said after rounds of 69-70 left him at three under. "And I think just the memory of some putts and some breaks can always help, right?
"Obviously, they're rolling a little bit different, a little bit faster. You have to play a little bit more break but there's a couple out there.
"In my case, the putt on 11, I knew it was straight - I've hit that putt before. I've missed it before and I knew it was straight. Like the putt on 10, I knew it broke a lot more than it looks.
"It's just situations where I think that experience can help out. We all know everything tends to break towards the ocean but it's not always the case, right? I feel like just the experience on the course in certain moments can always help out.
I feel like just the experience on the course in certain moments can always help out
"Feeling confident. Two very different rounds yesterday and today.
"I feel like yesterday I hit it really, really well, hit a lot of fairways. I just made a couple of mistakes going into the greens that cost me a few bogeys, a few more than I would have liked.
"Today it was the opposite. It took me a while to get going, didn't hit my second fairway until the 13th hole, I believe, and I just had to survive. I've got to say, that stretch of putts on 10, 11, 12 was key. Things could have taken a turn for the worse and I was able to save some great three pars in a row.
"Hopefully, I can just swing it like I did on the last four holes because I hit some beautiful shots and keep it going on the weekend."
