A sad journey for Casey after holding Tiger at bay
WHEN Paul Casey joined Burhill golf club in Surrey as a youngster, it was Ian Colclough and his wife Mary who took him under their wing. They were such ardent supporters that they drove nine hours from Weybridge to Gleneagles to witness his first victory as a pro in the Scottish PGA Championship in 2001.
Yesterday, it was Casey’s turn to make the long journey. Following his success at a memorable Valspar Championship in Tampa on Sunday, the 40-year-old boarded a plane for London to be by Ian’s side for Mary’s funeral, after she lost a long battle with cancer.
Casey should have been at Bay Hill this week for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, accepting the acclaim for his brilliant performance in beating Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed by a stroke with a closing 65.
Once he received the sad news of Mary’s passing, there was never any question of that. And so he spent the long flight home reflecting on his conflicting emotions, and life’s fateful concoction of magic and loss.
‘I played with a heavy heart, and maybe that helped,’ said Casey, who had tossed away plenty of chances to win in America during a nine-year victory drought. ‘Ian was one of my best friends when I joined Burhill. He always looked after me and still does to this day, and Mary would always tag along for the ride.
‘One of those sad stories, and we all know one. Cancer sucks.’
Casey started appreciating the bigger picture after meeting his second wife, television presenter Pollyanna Woodward, in 2011. They moved to Arizona, and now have two young children.
Ranked 133rd in the world in 2012 — he had been placed as high as third in 2008 — he gave up on Europe and set about rebuilding his career on the PGA Tour.
He knew his wedge game and putting needed some serious attention and hired John McLaren as caddie, who had learned much while working for Luke Donald, a supreme exponent of both areas of the game.
Earlier this year, confident in his restored standing as one of the world’s top 25 players, Casey rejoined the European Tour in the hope of playing in this year’s Ryder Cup. Captain Thomas Bjorn is a huge fan, but there was still one nagging doubt. If he couldn’t get over the finish line and win a tournament, how would he cope on the final day in Paris?
On Sunday, Casey answered that one emphatically. As ever, his ball striking was exemplary, but, on this occasion, it was complemented by a fearlessness on and around the greens.
On each of the formidable last three holes, he could have dropped shots but holed good putts each time, including a slippery six-footer at the last.
‘It doesn’t get any better than beating Tiger,’ he said, after Woods had congratulated him on his success. ‘It’s always been me going up to him and saying well done, so it was nice that it was the other way around for a change.’
Now up to 12th in the world, just around the corner is the Masters, an event where he has finished in the top six in each of the last three editions.
‘You know, I’m content with the life that I have built,’ said Casey. And once a top golfer reaches that blessed state, all worlds seem possible. But first, a time to pause and remember.