What really interests me is the fact that a switch in shafts has seen the Englishman rediscover some of his best ball-striking of late. Two starts back he was exemplary from the fairways, gaining almost nine strokes on a field he led in approach shots, and that was a significant step up on poor displays across the key summer events.

Granted, he didn't quite build on it at TPC Boston in long-game terms, but Rose admits that course doesn't suit him so well. Tenth place was his best finish since 2006 and it's fair to say that the redesign courtesy of Gil Hanse has harmed his prospects in one of the regular stops in the Playoffs.

To improve seven shots from round one to two and then produce a 69-68 weekend therefore represents another encouraging sign for Rose, especially as he putted well, and the hope is that another week to polish up on those tweaked irons could have him ready to peak in an event he won five years ago.

Certainly, this is a good part of the world for Rose, whose standout form has come in the northeastern states, and he can better 13th place here at Conway Farms in 2015 after back-to-back top-10 finishes to start the Playoffs.

Phil Mickelson finished mid-pack here in both 2013 and 2015 but, like Rose, could be primed to step up on those efforts.

The left-hander was a big eye-catcher in Boston, where the long game and the short game worked in harmony for sixth place - his best strokeplay finish since last year's second place at the Open Championship.

Mickelson spoke afterwards of some real off-course struggles this year, including severe fatigue, but says he's on the right track now and relieved to finally get rewarded for his hard work.

Statistically, Mickelson was really close to his absolute best last time and despite a stop-start season, he yet again ranks inside the PGA Tour's top 20 in birdie average.