Casey and Cabrera lead European Open
The return of England’s Paul Casey as a world-class golfer continued at the K Club today.
Casey went into the clubhouse in the European Open with a six-under-par 64, sharing the lead with Angel Cabrera.
Casey is seeking a second successive victory after capturing the Johnnie Walker Championship in Scotland two weeks ago.
It was a mixed start for Irish competitors, although Graeme McDowell is in good position after finishing his round. He lies three shots back, tied for eighth on three under par.
A year ago he was in the midst of a dreadful slump and could not make a halfway cut no matter how hard he tried, but now the English golfer is second on the Order of Merit and fifth on the Ryder Cup standings.
Capturing the title on Sunday would enable Casey to overtake David Howell at the top of the money list, Howell having decided to switch from this week’s event and play the French Open last week instead.
It did not work out as he hoped, though. He missed the cut.
In his absence, Casey kicked off on the ninth hole with a birdie four, although he had some concern that his second to the long 10th might have kicked down a bank into the water before he saw it just off the green.
Further birdies came on the 13th and 14th and he then took advantage of the other par five on the back nine, finding the green in two at the 578-yard 18th and two-putting.
Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium, yet to win on the European Tour birdied the third, fourth, seventh, 10th and 11th to be briefly sole possession of the lead.
Colsaerts added another birdie on the 14th, but Casey caught up at six under by picking up further shots of his own on the third and fifth.
Goosen showed his liking for the course again when he grabbed five birdies in his first 10 holes, but he also bogeyed the short 12th after bunkering his tee shot.
Irish golfer Padraig Harrington was looking to follow up his recent good form – fifth in the US Open, then second two successive weeks – on home soil.
But the Dubliner
He was level par at the turn. He flew the green from a fairway trap on the 11th and missed a four-foot par putt, but birdied the 15th.
French Open winner John Bickerton was playing with Casey, but had to be content with a level-par 36 for the back nine like Harrington.
Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke, defending champion Kenneth Ferrie and Ryder Cup captains Tom Lehman and Ian Woosnam were among the later starters.
