Casey tames fearsome Valderrama
Paul Casey, who five months ago would have shuddered at the thought of trying to take on Valderrama, needed just 31 shots to reach the turn on one of Europe’s toughest tests today.
The Ryder Cup and World Cup winner, who endured a nightmare mid-season slump, charged into the early lead at the Volvo Masters with a magical run.
Casey had five successive threes starting at the third, grabbing an eagle on the 563-yard next and then collecting birdies at the fifth and seventh.
On four under par the 28-year-old was two ahead of Dane Soren Hansen, although the 55-strong field were being sent off in reverse Order of Merit order and top two Colin Montgomerie and Michael Campbell had yet to tee off.
Casey had a run of six successive missed cuts in the summer, which included taking 85 at the US Open and then withdrawing. At one point he was 46 over par for just seven rounds.
“I became paralysed over the ball and was beating myself up on the course. But all you can try to do is smile and battle through it,” he said.
“It wasn’t fun for a while – it can’t be when you don’t know where the ball’s going to go.
“But I’m starting to hit some good shots again now and I’m always the optimist. The glass is always half-full, never half-empty.”
The start of the Ryder Cup qualifying campaign acted as a spur and in the very first week he finished third at the European Masters, then seventh a week later in the German Masters.
His world ranking, 29th at the start of the year, nose-dived for a while inevitably, but he has climbed back up to 65th and is now targeting a return to the top 50 in time for next April’s Masters.
Ulsterman Graeme McDowell, who has the same goal and is currently 51st, went through the pain barrier to tee off.
McDowell was involved in a car crash in late July and has had a recurrence of the back and rib injury he suffered then. He actually began with a birdie, pitching to seven feet, but then bogeyed the short fifth.
Montgomerie leads Campbell by just under £105,000 (€154,523) entering the last event of the money list race, with the New Zealander needing a top-five finish at worst to have a chance of denying Montgomerie an eighth title.
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