Phil Mickelson tunes up for US Open tilt at St. Jude Classic

Five-time major champion Phil Mickelson is among those tuning up this week at the PGA Tour`s St. Jude Classic in anticipation of the US Open next week.

Mickelson, whose resume is still missing the US Open crown he has long coveted -- and come heartbreakingly close to claiming -- admits that he can`t help thinking about the chance that he could complete a career Grand Slam with a US Open victory at Chambers Bay south of Seattle.

"I think about it a lot after the Masters is over," he said. "I really like Chambers Bay. It`s a lot like St. Andrews in that the first time you play St. Andrews you don`t quite get it. It doesn`t make sense.

"And then when you play it over and over, and you start to realize what types of shots, and where you`re supposed to go, it all makes sense."

Mickelson had a lackluster outing at the Memorial last week, but said he had practised well since then.

"I thought I was ready. I had a good couple of days trying to work on my game and I`m curious to see how that pays off because I really like the golf course here," he said of the TPC Southwind layout. "But you never know until you get in competition and have to put forth your best effort.

"After playing well and coming close at Augusta and playing well at Charlotte, I felt like I was about to turn the corner," said Mickelson finished tied for second at the Masters but has yet to lift a trophy since the 2013 British Open.

World number seven Dustin Johnson, the highest-ranked player in the field, 20th-ranked Billy Horschel and former US Open winner Graeme McDowell are all hoping to sharpen their games this week before tackling Chambers Bay -- and perhaps boost their confidence with a win.

Others in the field -- including Byron Nelson Championship winner Steven Bowditch of Australia -- are hoping to play their way into the second major of the year by nabbing a spot in the top 60 in the world rankings as of June 15.

Bowditch goes into the week ranked 64th.