Scots golfer Russell Knox is hoping a return to his happy ground this week can help kick-start his stuttering season.

The Inverness exile is back at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut to defend the Travelers Championship title he won a year ago.

Knox, who celebrates his 32nd birthday today, has missed seven cuts in his last 12 events but is hoping for a timely tonic before he heads back across the Atlantic to contest the French Open, the Scottish Open and the Open.

He said: “I took a bit of a break but I’ve not been able to get any rhythm and I lost confidence and if you’re standing on the tee worrying about your game then you have no chance. I’m playing more now, this is my fifth week in a row, and I’m hoping I can just play myself out of this little funk.”

Knox facess stiff competition from a field that includes the likes of Rory McIlroy and Jason Day and the Scot is relishing the challenge.

He said: “It’s a great field. There are big world ranking points but there are also bragging points. If you win this week you can say 'hey, I beat Rory, Jason and others’.”

A year ago at River Highlands, Knox found inspiration in the exploits of others as he captured the second PGA Tour title of his career.

Jim Furyk had just shot a 58 – the lowest round in PGA Tour history – as Knox was preparing to tee-off in his final round.

Knox added: “As I was coming out the locker room, Jim passed me and I said ‘congratulations’. I thought it was pretty cool that I was just starting my day and he was just finishing the best round in PGA Tour history. I thought ‘maybe this is a good luck charm that I just brushed shoulders with Mr 58?’”

Ahead of Knox’s title defence this week, the PGA Tour unveiled its plans to be more stringent with its drug-testing policy and announced plans to introduce blood testing as of next season. In a bid to increase transparency, any suspensions of players abusing banned substances will be announced publicly for the first time.

Knox said: “We all want a fair playing field. If that’s the step they want to take then I’m all behind it. If you do something you’re not supposed to then it should be made public.”