Casey hungry and raring to get started

English star enjoying life and ready to challenge

Impressive recent form and impressive Old Course form make Paul Casey a man to watch in this year’s Open.

And the player who finished third at St Andrews behind runaway winner Louis Oosthuizen in 2010, and was a play-off runner-up in his last PGA Tour event, was happy to go along with the theory.

Casey, who has come through a divorce, serious injury and a tumble down the world rankings is now in a good place.

“I’ve got a lot of reasons, or I should say no reasons not to perform well,” the Englishman admitted. “And I had last week off down in London, so I’m fresh.

“I haven’t actually over-practised, which has kind of been a trend so far this year and helped me to really play some good golf.

“I’ve spent time with the wife and Lex, my little one, and they’re here this week.

“Having had highs and lows, the lows have certainly given me a better understanding of my golf game, so when I work on it now, I’m very disciplined and I know what I’m working on.

“So having that fun time away from the golf course, I think I’ve got a great balance of enjoying myself on the golf course and enjoying it off it right now.”

Casey was keen to stress that satisfaction with his life and golf game does not mean his motivation has been diluted.

He explained: “At the beginning of the year this all seemed a long way out, especially being asked to have a press conference at an Open Championship.

“So I feel very honoured and happy that things have definitely gone very well, but I also feel kind of slightly unfulfilled that I’ve had a couple of chances and I’m very hungry. If anything I’m hungrier than I was at the beginning of the year because it was almost like, let’s get this going, let’s get in the majors, let’s get in the World Golf events.

“Now that I’ve knocked on the door and not opened it, yeah, it’s very much back to sort of where I was ’06, ’09, ’10, those kinds of years where I’m very much hungry. I’m pretty focused this week. I’m not here just to make up the numbers this week.”

Casey does not look back on the 2010 Open as one that got away.

He recalled: “There were putts on 18 on Saturday and then maybe the first hole on Sunday. If I’d rolled those in it might have been a little bit different.

“But the rest of it was very good. I just think Louis played some absolutely special stuff. From where I was standing on Sunday, he didn’t put a foot wrong.

“It’s a golf course I love. I had a very good view of Louis tearing the place to pieces back in 2010, but it was a real treat to be in the final group.

“I think my golf game suits the Old Course very well. I’ve got enough length to carry some of the trouble, and I know it through playing it multiple times, obviously Opens and Dunhill Links.

“And I hear it’s soft, so maybe that gives the longer hitters maybe a little bit more of an advantage. I’m looking forward to getting started.”

A relaxed Paul Casey at a press conference in St Andrews yesterday.