Former Open champion Phil Mickelson has claimed that he hopes everything will "click" in time for next week's major championship at Royal Troon.
The 46-year-old American, who is a five-time major champion, won the Claret Jug at Muirfield in 2013, but has not sealed a tournament win since then.
In the last few weeks, Mickelson has suffered with inconsistency as he failed to make the cut at the US Open after finishing second in the FedEx St Jude Classic, and he ended 27th in the field at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational.
Mickelson's unpredictable form has affected the betting odds as online bookmaker 888sport gives him an outside shot at 40/1 of winning The Open.
The three-time Masters champion currently has an 8/1 chance of finishing in the top five, but the man himself is unsure of how he will perform in South Ayrshire next week.
"I've had some really good finishes and some missed cuts, which I usually have not had that type of fluctuation," Mickelson told reporters. "I feel that after six months now of really working hard the swing is where I want it and I can take that final step of trying to score and shoot a number and hit intricate shots - get those little details of flying a ball a couple yards shorter or longer than I want to and things like that.
"I think that that's starting to come, but it's hard to say when it's going to all click. I hope it clicks this week. I don't feel like it's far off but I've been saying that for a while."
World number one Jason Day and 2014 Open champion Rory McIlroy are favourites for the crown at 15/2, while Dustin Johnson, who recently sealed back-to-back wins at the US Open and WGC Bridgestone Invitational, is 8/1.
Danielle Joynson
