Casey captures Dubai Classic

Paul Casey left behind one of the unhappiest years of his golfing career by capturing his first title since 2019 with a fourstroke win at the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday.

The 43-year-old Englishman struggled to adapt to what he described as the “soulless” playing environment during the pandemic, with his only top-10 finish in 2020 coming at the PGA Championship when he tied for second behind Collin Morikawa.

He traveled to Dubai having not played on the European Tour since the end of 2019 and, aided by a new driver and a new mindset, wound up easing to his 15th victory on the European Tour — 20 years after his first — after shooting 2-under 70 in the final round.

“It’s something very cool because it’s not been great,” said Casey, who could jump to 14th in the world rankings after his first win since the European Open in September 2019.