World Number Three Xander Schauffele revealed he is in "full chase mode" in his bid to return to top form at the Genesis Scottish Open.
Schauffele, who was the first winner at the Renaissance Club since Scotland's national open was co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR in 2022, is still on the comeback trail to recover the blistering form of 2024 that yielded two Major Championships.
The American sustained an intercostal strain and a cartilage tear in January, which resulted in an eight week injury lay-off, and has recorded just one top ten finish so far this season.
However, one crumb of comfort for Schauffele is that came at the Masters Tournament, while he also was tied for 12th in the U.S. Open Championship, showing he can contend for golf's biggest prizes ahead of his title defence at next week's Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
"It's been a weird year for me, just from coming off the year I had last year into sort of what I did, just kind of disappearing and then playing bad coming out of it," he said.
"So any expectation I had of whatever I thought I was capable of doing, you know, from a feel standpoint last year, has been sort of reset and I am in full chase mode."
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Schauffele added: "I'm trying to do a lot of things and I think the best part of my game has probably been my mental fortitude, whatever you want to call it, just to try to stay positive and behave as if I am playing really well.
"But coming off a year like last year, getting hurt, coming back, my expectations and playing ability have not cued up very nicely.
"I haven't really showed a lot of signs but when I'm playing really well, I believe I can win every tournament - that's a separate belief.
"It shouldn't be too attached to how you're playing. I think that's just how your mentality should be."
Schauffele stressed the importance of acclimatising to links golf ahead of the ever-changing conditions of the coastline course at North Berwick this week.
"It's important for me to get acclimated to the time," Schauffele said. "Important to get used to the grass, the way the ball is rolling, all those good things. It's definitely become a staple in my schedule.
"It's just hard to replicate any sort of tournament feel back home in the States where you can hit an iron, the same club, a difference of 50 to 60 yards just based on how you hit it or what kind of wind you get.
"There's only one way to get that done, and it's coming over here. And whether it's hitting drivers in crosswinds or getting used to a different bounce with your wedge or trying to hit it over those big lips that you guys have over here, it's a lot of fun to prepare that way.
"I was really beating up on myself for quite some time to try and get myself to play like I did last year, things of that nature, which isn't really how you're supposed to do it.
"But victim of that, and something about being here, you start taking your hands off the wheel, and that's how I played my best."