Casey makes first run at tying course record

AUGUSTA, GA. — Paul Casey was playing with a marker on Saturday. He nearly shot the Masters course record on Sunday.

Casey made the cut at the number, 5-over par, after the first two rounds of the 2018 Masters. Going out first, with a non-competitive marker, he shot a 3-under 69 in the third round.

Casey shot 3-under on the front nine of the fourth round Sunday. The course record became a real possibility when Casey shot 6-under par between Nos. 11-15 with four birdies and an eagle. Casey just needed to par the final three holes to tie the record of 63, established by Nick Price in the third round in 1986 and Greg Norman in the first round of 1996. One birdie on the closing holes could have set the mark. Casey got the par at No. 16. However, he bogeyed Nos. 17 and No. 18 to miss history and shoot 65.

Much later, Jordan Spieth bogeyed No. 18 to miss his chance to shoot 63.

Casey went from making the weekend at 5 over to 2 over going into the final round to 5 under for the tournament and tied for 15th-place finish.

“That was fun, wasn’t it?” Casey said. “Birdie, birdie, eagle on Amen Corner, I’m going to remember that for a long time. I’m obviously disappointed. I got out of position horribly on 17 and 18 which was kind of reminiscent of how I played this week. Haven’t been very good until that streak today.

“But to shoot 65 today, it would have been hard to turn that down. And it was fun thinking, I was fully aware of what was going on.”