Casey has taken his game to a new level
IT may have taken a while to fully develop, but it seems we are finally getting to see the full potential of Paul Casey’s all-round golf game – something which has only been sporadically evident since he burst on the scene as a promising amateur in the late 1990’s.
Casey’s victory in the PGA Championship at Wentworth at the weekend was sensational, hitting birdie at 15, 17 and 18 to hold off the fast-finishing local pro Ross Fisher, whose fantastic 64 was one off the West Course record. Fantastic.
Casey’s victory was his third of the year and takes him to the lofty heights of third in the world rankings – the first Briton to make the top three since Colin Montgomerie nine years ago and only the fifth since rankings began in 1986.
Casey has always had a naturally beautiful game but now it seems he has taken it to a new level. Suddenly, there’s a new maturity and self-belief about him and you can rest assured he will adopt a confident new approach in the build-up to the US Open in three weeks time.
DAY TO FORGET
While Casey was wowing the crowds at Wentworth, another Englishman was doing likewise across the water, on the PGA Tour.
Brian Davis’ fine second-place finish in the Byron Nelson Championship in Texas means he has now finished second, fifth and fifth in his last three PGA starts – a fantastic return for a player who could well be an unexpected tip for success when it comes to the summer Majors, especially over the pond.
As for me, I had a somewhat frustrating weekend at the US Senior PGA Championship – the first Major of the season.
Steady rounds of 70 and 71 were pleasing on a tough course at Beachwood, Ohio, but I then had one of those days to forget – a horrible 80 where everything that could go wrong, did.
It was nice to finish with a 70 for a share of 53rd, but I’ll be looking to erase those bad days from my game when I begin a busy little schedule of four tournaments, starting with the Irish Open at Ballybunion in two weeks time.