‘It’s like a drug!’ Veteran Casey in tears after win
PAUL CASEY’S complex relationship with the Ryder Cup extends back to the time when he said of the American opposition: ‘We properly hate them.’
Fourteen years on from that outburst, he is back in the team and delivering the more articulate statement of playing as well as any player on either side. His two appearances in the morning fourballs have seen him deliver 11 birdies, more than any other player to have featured in the same way, and yesterday brought the overdue reward of a point alongside Tyrrell Hatton.
The English pair shook hands on the 16th green with Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler after winning 3 & 2, with the world No 21 from Surrey struggling to contain his emotions.
‘There was a tear,’ he admitted. ‘I was emotional earlier. I’m not embarrassed, I’ve always been a bit like that, I cry at movies. This means an awful lot to me.’
It had been 12 years since Casey had delivered a full point for Europe, at the K Club in Ireland, and after he contributed a couple of halves in 2008 that appeared to be a full stop to his Ryder Cup career.
Despite being No 9 in the world, he was controversially overlooked by captain Colin Montgomerie for Celtic Manor in 2010, and by 2012 was in a serious form slump.
Having been mainly based in the US, he then became ineligible through not having a European Tour card, a sense of umbrage having been added to the mix.
It was only late last year that he rejoined, after speaking to captain Thomas Bjorn, making sure that he could play in this fixture. He is in as one of the Dane’s personal selections.
He has repaid that faith by turning in two excellent individual performances alongside the rookie Hatton. They were unlucky not to have won the previous day when edged out by Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.
That made yesterday’s win all the sweeter: ‘I am elated right now, it feels great,’ he said. ‘I set my sights on trying to make this team, I knew it would be amazing and I wanted to be part of it. You don’t know what it’s like until you have played in one [a Ryder Cup], it’s a like a drug.
‘I said earlier this week, just looking at it, at my age, in all likelihood this may be the last Europe-based Ryder Cup I will play. I’d love to play in Italy but I’m 41 right now so we’ll see.’
Several times Casey went out of his way to praise the US team — you suspect he has not forgotten the furore that greeted his comments of 2004, and like the majority of his team-mates he is now very much anchored in the US.
Having started with a birdie, he pulled his ball into the lake on the par three second, but there were few other obvious blemishes, and after six holes he had birdied three times. Having taken the lead on the third, and getting to three up on the ninth, he and Hatton were never threatened. Casey will today take his place in the singles and, 10 years after being part of the Nick Faldo-captained rout of Europe at Valhalla, it looks likely to be a happier experience.