Casey’s 40th birthday wish is to catch US trio
Englishman one shot off the lead after superb 66 Poulter and outsider Bland also in the hunt
Life begins at 40 here for Paul Casey today. And the vast British support at the 146th Open Championship will be praying the Englishman’s birthday also heralds the end of the US monopoly at the top of this leaderboard.
After a four-under 66, Casey stands one off the pace set by the American trio, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Matt Kuchar. It is not just Casey flying the flag proudly, but also Ian Poulter and the journeyman of all journeymen Richard Bland, both on three under par.
On a day when Rory Mcilroy had to stage a remarkably gutsy recovery just to shoot a one-over 71 – after listening to caddie JP Fitzgerald, who, when the Ulsterman was standing on five over after six holes, asked him “you’re Rory Mcilroy, what the f--- are you doing?” – it was left to the older brigade to try to put the barriers up on the starred-and-striped procession.
Casey did so most valiantly. Out in 31, he recovered from a bogey at the 11th with birdies on the 16th and 17th and afterwards promised an appropriate celebration if, in the week of his milestone birthday, he could finally knock off that major which his talent has long deserved.
“I’ve always loved this tournament because my birthday has been on or around it and I love going to work on my birthday – I genuinely do,” Casey said. “There’s that old cliche about what happens at 40, so maybe this is a good omen. I’m not putting that much pressure on myself, but I’m very much wanting to win it. The odds are in my favour – seven first-time major winners on the trot. So, yeah, it would be a hell of a party.”
Casey is thinking of a Lamborghini as “a treat” to go with the Claret Jug, but this is early days. Even if he was not aware of some of the nightmare tales which unfolded here yesterday – most notably Mark O’meara hitting the very first tee shot of this Open out of bounds on his way to an eight – he knows all about the perils of Royal Birkdale anyway.
When he arrived on the first tee, the memory of his last experience at Birkdale sprang instantly to mind. “In 2008, I shanked it out of bounds with a three-iron,” he said. “It was atrocious weather and I crouched down by the side of the bag, with my caddie Craig Connelly, thinking how on earth are we still playing? Surely somebody should blow a horn? Worst conditions I may have ever played in.”
But that week also told him that what this fantastic links taketh, it can also giveth. A level-par weekend took him all the way from the cut line to seventh and, nine years later, Casey came back full of confidence and energy, although, in truth, this is all to do with his form and his recent holiday.
Since finishing sixth at the Masters, his worst result in his last seven starts has been 26th at the US Open. The former world No 3 is back up to 16th in the rankings. On Monday, he returned from a weeklong cycling trek around Italy that covered 300 miles and 37,000 feet of climbing. Everywhere he looks at the moment, Casey sees summits he believes he can conquer.
Except there are two twin peaks known as Spieth and Koepka blocking his path, as well as perennial leaderboard stalker Kuchar. Both Spieth, 22, and Koepka, 27, went out in the more difficult morning conditions and looked equally impressive in gaining the upper hand against the elements.
Spieth, the two-time major champion, did not drop a shot, which is some achievement at any time here, while Koepka, the US Open champion playing his first event after his Erin Hills glory, only made one blemish at the 16th and quickly followed that up with a holed bunker shot on the 17th for an eagle.
The duo have to be the joint favourites, but Kuchar will also be difficult to shake off. The 39-yearold was five-under after nine holes and with the more scoreable inward half to follow, a 62 even seemed possible. Kuchar’s run dried up, however, meaning he had to settle for a share of the advantage over Casey and the South African Charl Schwartzel.
Poulter and Bland are in the next pack and what a contrast these two happen to make, despite both being in their forties. Poulter, is in the middle of resurrecting his career after a desultory 2016 caused by injury. He showed up well in Scotland for so long last week and has brought this fighting spirit here, getting up and down seven times. The last time the 41-year-old was at Birkdale, only Padraig Harrington denied him. At the very least, he is determined to show that he is far from finished.
The last time Bland, 44, was here was in 1998. That was his only previous Open appearance. Since then he has played in 415 European Tour events without a win. He could be golf ’s Cinderella Man.
Of course, Mcilroy is the crown prince, although he looked more of a clown after his awful beginning. There was no excuse as by the time he set out at 2.48pm the sun was out, the gusts had dropped and Southport seemed a completely different place from the rainlashed, wind-swept hell which presented itself to the first group at 6.35am.
But, for Mcilroy, it was all eerily similar to his last two events, the Irish Open and Scottish Open, where he missed the cut on both occasions. The world No4 needed to make a putt from off the green to escape with a bogey on the first but then spiralled into dramatic freefall over the next hour.
Until, at last, JP spoke up. Mcilroy played the last 12 holes in four under, capped by a 12ft birdie putt on the last which he greeted with a fist pump, and, believe it, he is not yet out of this. He tees off early in the second round and that may be a big boost as the conditions are expected to deteriorate during the day. With more than 20 players under par, Birkdale was actually quite generous.
Expect payback today.