Australian veteran Cameron Percy continued his push for a long-overdue win on the US PGA Tour today in Napa, California.

The 46-year-old Melburnian shot a second-round 68 with six birdies after a 64 on Thursday to sit third in the Safeway Open at Silverado Resort, just three shots behind leader American Sam Burns.

Percy, who has been battling a rib injury recently, has been trying to win in America since 2010.

Today the Aussie said some time at his US base in Raleigh, North Carolina, where it was too hot outside to hit balls had actually helped him. With a net installed indoors at a friend’s place and a TrackMan to gauge his strikes, he worked with his teenage son Liam.

“Yeah, my 14-year-old now is just mad about golf and my buddy down the road is doing some work and he's got a net in his house,” said Percy. “He gave it to me with a mat and all he wants to do is hit golf balls after school at the moment, and I've been hitting golf balls with him as well. Even put the TrackMan in there and all that sort of stuff.

“My wedges this week have been amazing. I'm like maybe I need to practice indoors more with The TrackMan, so it's been great.”

Percy has had two recent withdrawals because of injury but his form is great otherwise. “I can't turn, and then about a foot before impact it feels like a rib's going to pop out,’’ he said.

“(I) haven't been able to play, but the last three weeks, just been rehabbing that and working out way more and got my body right. I'm not scared to hit the ball now, which has helped my driving. At least I'm on the fairway now. And my irons have always been pretty good. I hit a lot of close iron shots this week because I've been in the fairway instead of hacking out of the rough like I've been the last six weeks.”

Safeway Open leaderboard