Abingdon golfer Eddie Pepperell believes the US PGA Championship in August is his best chance of playing at a major this year.

The 24-year-old, ranked 125 in the world, made his major championship debut at the US Open in 2013.

However, he has failed to qualify for any of the big four since – The Open and The Masters have also eluded him.

But with the top 100 eligible to play the US PGA, Pepperell is optimistic of making the field at Whistling Straights on August 13.

And the US Open on June 18, where only the top 50 are invited, is not out of the question with qualifying held at Walton Heath on May 25.

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The Frilford Heath ace, who tees off at the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco today, is eyeing a good run this summer to propel him up the rankings.

He said: “It would be nice to go back to the US Open, but I have got a good chance of playing the US PGA.

“The top 100 in the world get into that and I’m not far off.

“I will certainly be excited when April comes around and we go back to Europe.

“There are six months where there is a lot of golf and you want to be playing at your highest level.”

Since withdrawing from the Maybank Malaysian Open in February with illness, the talented strokemaker has been back in the county and in the gym.

Pepperell said he wanted to work on his stamina to play competitively on the European Tour week after week.

He continued: “To keep the intensity where I want it, I feel I need to be fitter to do a three-week stretch.

“I think you just need to be athletic.

“The guys at the top move well and I think it is a good time to be hitting the weights.”

Pepperell has only completed a handful of rounds in recent weeks, including at Oxford City’s Changing of the Guard Texas Scramble at the beginning of the month, where his brother, Joe, is the club’s new professional.

However, he is not concerned about a lack of playing time ahead of his return to the tour today.

“I don’t feel like I need to work hard, burning myself out in that way,” he said.