AS HE reacquaints himself with Whistling Straits today, David Howell will do his best to recover memories of his first tilt at the US PGA Championship.

In 2004, Howell took on the same 7,500-plus Wisconsin course as he finished tied 45th at that year’s US PGA and when the final major of the season tees off on Thursday, the Swindon ace is hoping that everything from that experience has come flooding back.

The Broome Manor player was practicing on the Straits Course this morning after flying across this pond yesterday and, after rising to 86 in the world rankings following his fifth top-five finish of the season on the European Tour at the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play earlier this month, Howell has his fingers crossed that he is about to produce more of his best.

“I’ve had three very good results in the last six weeks and I’m feeling on top form so let’s see what I can do,” he said.

“I had a good rest week last week and I didn’t really start hitting any balls until Thursday or Friday. I wouldn’t usually travel on a Sunday to a European event but the travelling is longer so you need to do it earlier.

“I had a look at the results from when I played there in 2004 – that was just before my first Ryder Cup appearance. I also commentated there the year that Martin Kaymer won it (2010).

“It’s a course with a great backdrop, with the lake and Michigan in the background. You’ve also got the wind coming over the water.

“It’s a very linksy course but it is hard to recreate links golf. It’s definitely tricky. It’s a big test and there are some long holes.

“The course always looks really striking on television but it’s actually pretty rough.

“There are bunkers on every hole but they’re not always where you’d expect them to be. A lot of them are off the beaten path but if you do get in them, they’ve not really been raked and they’re hard to get out of.”