Darlington’s Callum Tarren in top six at USPGA Championship

Tarren posted an excellent second round of 67 at Oak Hill and shared sixth place with four-time Major winner Brooks Koepka, just three strokes from the halftime lead shared by Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners.

The 32-year-old from Darlington, who only fielded Friday when Martin Kaymer retired, had missed the cut in eight consecutive PGA Tour events before earning a tie 64th in his most recent start in the Wells Fargo Championship occupied.

When asked what he has done particularly well at Oak Hill so far, Tarren, who first started playing golf at Dinsdale Spa, said: “I think I’ve been avoiding myself.

“I think as golfers we come to these big championships and put them on a huge pedestal, which they are, but at the end of the day you still just have to make golf shots, you know?

“I just went about my business, stuck to my exercise routines and just saw what was really happening. I’m pretty relaxed.

“Of course it’s difficult because it’s a big championship and the golf course is an absolute monster, as you can see from this week’s results.

“I think I just did a great job just taking a shot at a time, discussing it with my caddy and trying to execute it.”