Sky Sports.com - USPGA Championship

Justin Rose reckoned his 67 on day two of the USPGA was one of the best rounds he has played all year.

The European number one took advantage of a red-hot putter to move into contention on level par at the halfway stage at Oakland Hills.

"It's got to be right up there with the best round I've played all year," Rose said.

"I think it's the round of the year for sure. It's the kind of round I've been looking for to get myself back on the leaderboard and feeling the good vibes."

Where the Englishman was feeling it most was on Oakland Hills' greens. He took only 25 putts, including 11 on his back nine in a round which featured four birdies and just one bogey.

"The putter was the key to the round," Rose said.

"I quite like the tough greens. I like them when they get quick. I like the imagination that are needed with the big curves.

"I think if your speed is good, sometimes it's easier to read the big breaks rather than if it's just quite subtle and you can't tell if it's a ball right or a ball left.

"Sometimes on poa annua [the grass used on the Oakland Hills greens] it looks straight but you can't really read them, but I'm able to read these just a little bit better."

First major

Rose will have to keep up his performance on the greens if he is to claim his first major championship.

His best performance this year in the majors was a tied 36th finish at the Masters, however he has two top-five finishes in his past - at the Masters and US Open.

"I try to take a little bit of confidence from the fact that if you look at a lot of other guys' results, they don't always play great in the majors," he added.

"Some guys play better than others all the time but others really struggle occasionally and I think this year has been the hardest set of majors that there have been, or certainly that I've ever played in."