When Adam Rainaud needs to slice through the tension playing in the PGA Championship this week, he'll take a deep breath and turn to his caddie.

His younger brother Scott keeps him loose.

"He's always more nervous than I am," Rainaud said recently. "He calms me down because I laugh about it. ... If you can focus on your breathing and keep your heart rate down and then try to laugh, it usually keeps you pretty calm."

Staying loose and a steady golf game will be key to his survival at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, a links style course in Kohler, Wisc. Qualifying for the prestigious tournament is another giant step forward for Rainaud, an assistant professional at Black Hall Club in Old Lyme.

The Rainaud brothers arrived in Wisconsin on Sunday to begin preparations. First-round play begins Thursday.

They plan to enjoy themselves this week.

"We obviously take it very seriously," Scott Rainaud said by phone Tuesday. "Some people take it too seriously and it bites them in the butt. We just like to laugh and have a good time. That helps him play better. It's kind of what works.

"Every shot is of paramount importance and every stroke matters, but it's not good to get all wound up."

Adam will be playing in a PGA tour event for the second time in his career. He also competed in the 2014 Travelers Championship in Cromwell, failing to make the cut.

Scott, a former Division I golfer at Fairfield who now works in New York City, was there to encourage him, give advice and keep him calm in the pressure-packed atmosphere.

Every tournament also provides quality time, on and off the course, for the brothers to catch up.

"Whenever I have a big tournament, I always call him," Rainaud said. "He loves to caddie because it gets him out of New York City and out on a nice golf course. I make sure to take him to some nice dinners and hang out with him."

"We don't see each much. It's nice that we get to spend time together."

Scott will cherish their time together this week.

"It's awesome," Scott said. "It's really cool. Obviously being brothers it's a different kind of connection. ... It's the one week of the year that I will be with him the whole week. I think we're a good team."

Scott's caddie duties cover more than recommending club selection and helping to line up putts. He also provides a distraction from the enormity of the moment. They'll joke about a bad shot and chat about everything but golf while walking the course.

That's the way Adam prefers it.

"I like to have a caddie who I'm friendly with," Rainaud said. "When I play golf, I like to talk. I don't want to talk about golf in between shots. I just want to get away from it. When I walk from one shot to the next, I want to talk about cars, or whatever is going on in life.

"The last thing I want to talk about is the shot I just hit. And I don't want to think about the next shot until I walk right up to it."

There's a lot for Adam to think about this week.

He has to make sure his family and friends are set up with tickets and places to stay. He's never been to Wisconsin, so the two brothers began checking out the area after arriving on Sunday.

As far as tournament logistics, he can lean on his previous experience in the Travelers.

"It helps me with understanding how a PGA tour event works, everything from the driving range to the locker room and sleeping arrangements," Adam said.

Three days of practice rounds will help Adam become familiar with the demanding course. He finished 16 holes Monday before rainy weather halted play. On Tuesday, he played the first 12 holes as well as 10, 17 and 18.

The Rainaud brothers already are mapping out a game plan. Their basic strategy will be to make aggressive swings at conservative targets.

"It's different than what we thought," Scott said. "It looks like a links course but doesn't play like one at all. ... The course is absolutely beautiful. It's so nice. You can see Lake Michigan. It's challenging. It's a big-boy course."

As far as his goals this week, Adam is keeping it simple. He plans to stay focused on one shot at a time.

That approach has served him well during the past year and a half when he's played the best golf of his young career.

"I'm not going to try to say I want to make the cut or come in the top 10," Adam said. "Every tournament I play in, I'm just trying to post the best score I can every single day I play. I'm trying to hit every shot perfect and try to make every putt."

Scott has plenty of faith in his brother. Earlier this summer, he saw Adam one-putt six of the last seven holes in the PGA Professional National Championship to qualify for the PGA Championship. He firmly believes that Adam can make the cut this week.

It will be nerve-racking for Scott to watch Adam play against some of the world's best golfers.

"He's always been really good in pressure situations," Scott said. "I think he's confident and he knows he can play with these guys. I think watching, when you really care how well someone plays, is even more nerve-racking than actually playing."

"... He can play with these guys, that's for sure. He's got the talent. If he plays well, I expect him to play on the weekend."

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe