Tears flow as Casey gets back to winning ways
Paul Casey could not hold back the tears as he marked his return to the Ryder Cup with a valuable point, writes ADAM LANIGAN.
Casey was one of the heroes of the morning as he teamed up with rookie Englishman Tyrrell Hatton to take down Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler 3&2.
They were part of a successful morning for Europe as they followed on from Friday afternoon’s foursomes whitewash with a 3-1 winning session in the fourballs.
But the victory has particular significance in his first Ryder Cup since 2008, and his first full point since the match at the K Club two years before that.
It has been a rollercoaster decade for the 41-year-old. There were personal problems, a snub from Colin Montgomerie in 2010 and he even gave up his European Tour membership.
But Thomas Bjorn persuaded him to rejoin and then after a strong season, the Dane handed him a wildcard.
So with all that had gone before, Casey admitted the moment of victory was very special.
“There was a tear,” he said. “I was emotional but I’ve always been a bit that way.
“I’m not embarrassed. I care about it and it means an awful lot. I’m proud to be standing next to these other 11 team-mates and proud to win a point.
“I set my sights on trying to make this team. I knew it would be an amazing team.
“But it wasn’t just to get here and be part of the team, it was to try and win the Ryder Cup back.
“To contribute to that is very meaningful to me. I played some really good stuff yesterday, but so did Justin (Thomas) and Jordan (Spieth).
“They played some wonderful stuff, so I was frustrated not to get a point. But today I was on a mission to get one, so I’m very, very happy.”