Houston Open winner Paul Casey has got
that Masterly feeling
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Paul Casey believes his maiden US PGA Tour victory can propel him to Masters success this week.
Casey, 31, won the Shell Houston Open in Texas on Sunday night after beating American J B Holmes at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off, handing the Englishman his first win in the United States in 77 starts (scroll down for all the final totals).
"This is huge. I love the Masters and I feel it's my best opportunity of a major," Casey said. "The golf course sets up very, very well for me and winning this week isn't a jinx like winning the par-three contest."
He added: "Phil Mickelson has won the week before gone on to win at Augusta, Sandy Lyle has done it as well and it would be nice to be another Brit to do that."
Casey's success at the weekend followed on from victory at the Abu Dhabi Championship in January and a run to the final of the WGC-Accenture Match Play in Arizona, where he was beaten 4 & 3 over 36 holes by Geoff Ogilvy of Australia.
That form and his victory in Houston sent Casey to a career-high No. 6 in the latest world rankings issued today and the European Ryder Cup star said belief in his ability and hard work had been the key to his breakthrough.
"You know, self belief is a very difficult thing to explain and to work on because you don't want to be arrogant," Casey said.
"You don't want to be cocky but you have to have belief in yourself. For me it's just been a lot of hard work, playing a lot of golf, and a bit of time.
"Hopefully I'm not any different than I was as a kid growing up. You know, it's sort of the way I am to people or anything else.
"I now have that belief when I step onto the golf course. I'm looking to beat guys and not worry about the other guys, just what am I going to do to get around the golf course in as few a shots as possible, and that's what I did here."
US PGA Tour Scoreboard
Casey, 31, won the Shell Houston Open in Texas on Sunday night after beating American J B Holmes at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off, handing the Englishman his first win in the United States in 77 starts (scroll down for all the final totals).
"This is huge. I love the Masters and I feel it's my best opportunity of a major," Casey said. "The golf course sets up very, very well for me and winning this week isn't a jinx like winning the par-three contest."
He added: "Phil Mickelson has won the week before gone on to win at Augusta, Sandy Lyle has done it as well and it would be nice to be another Brit to do that."
Casey's success at the weekend followed on from victory at the Abu Dhabi Championship in January and a run to the final of the WGC-Accenture Match Play in Arizona, where he was beaten 4 & 3 over 36 holes by Geoff Ogilvy of Australia.
That form and his victory in Houston sent Casey to a career-high No. 6 in the latest world rankings issued today and the European Ryder Cup star said belief in his ability and hard work had been the key to his breakthrough.
"You know, self belief is a very difficult thing to explain and to work on because you don't want to be arrogant," Casey said.
"You don't want to be cocky but you have to have belief in yourself. For me it's just been a lot of hard work, playing a lot of golf, and a bit of time.
"Hopefully I'm not any different than I was as a kid growing up. You know, it's sort of the way I am to people or anything else.
"I now have that belief when I step onto the golf course. I'm looking to beat guys and not worry about the other guys, just what am I going to do to get around the golf course in as few a shots as possible, and that's what I did here."
US PGA Tour Scoreboard
SHELL HOUSTON OPEN
Redstone GC, Humble, Texas
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
277 Paul Casey (Eng) 66 70 69 72, J B Holmes 71 69 68 69 (Casey won sudden-death play-off at first hole).
279 Nick O'Hern (Aus) 72 71 66 70, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 70 67 72 70, Fred Couples 68 69 68 74
280 Hunter Mahan 71 69 72 68, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 67 69 69 75, John Mallinger 75 65 70 70, Tommy Armour III 66 70 72 72, Jason Bohn 69 71 66 74
281 Ryan Moore 70 68 67 76, Lee Westwood (Eng) 69 70 68 74, Nicholas Thompson 65 75 71 70
282 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 70 71 66 75, D.A. Points 66 72 72 72, Brian Davis (Eng) 71 69 68 74, Ernie Els (Rsa) 75 66 71 70, Jonathan Byrd 67 70 70 75
283 Kevin Na 73 68 70 72, Steve Marino 69 73 71 70, Justin Leonard 68 70 69 76, Rory McIlroy (NIrl) 67 73 74 69, Ryan Palmer 70 72 72 69, Bo Van Pelt 70 67 68 78, Kevin Sutherland 69 71 68 75
284 Anthony Kim 72 68 70 74, Shaun Micheel 71 72 68 73, Brian Gay 69 73 68 74, Ted Purdy 71 69 73 71, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 72 67 68 77
285 Dudley Hart 68 72 73 72, Chris Stroud 68 75 71 71, Bart Bryant 71 72 69 73, John Merrick 71 72 68 74, Lucas Glover 74 68 66 77, John Senden (Aus) 65 71 71 78, Ben Curtis 70 72 71 72, Jarrod Lyle (Aus) 71 68 71 75, Brandt Jobe 73 69 69 74, Scott Verplank 68 70 71 76, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 70 68 71 76
286 Michael Letzig 71 71 69 75, J J Henry 72 71 70 73, Marc Leishman (Aus) 68 73 71 74, Colt Knost 66 70 69 81, Scott Piercy 66 71 69 80, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 71 70 70 75, Camilo Villegas (Col) 69 72 72 73
287 Chad Campbell 72 71 72 72, Vaughn Taylor 67 72 71 77, John Huston 72 70 70 75
288 Charley Hoffman 71 72 69 76, John Rollins 68 73 72 75, Justin Rose (Eng) 68 74 73 73, Davis Love III 73 69 72 74, Peter Lonard (Aus) 73 69 68 78, Webb Simpson 71 71 71 75
289 Daniel Chopra (Swe) 72 71 66 80, Paul Goydos 71 71 71 76, Briny Baird 65 73 71 80, Heath Slocum 73 67 73 76, Steve Elkington (Aus) 71 71 69 78, Charles Howell III 71 68 71 79
290 Brendon De Jonge 73 69 71 77, Scott McCarron 68 73 72 77, Robert Garrigus 71 68 73 78, Brendon Todd 71 71 69 79, Tom Pernice jun 70 72 71 77, Alex Cejka (Ger) 73 69 73 75
291 Billy Mayfair 70 72 74 75, James Nitties (Aus) 66 72 75 78, Greg Norman (Aus) 71 69 70 81, Tim Wilkinson (Nzl) 68 75 75 73
292 Bob Estes 70 73 74 75, Kirk Triplett 72 69 74 77
294 David Berganio jun 68 73 72 81
295 Jason Dufner 68 73 75 79, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 69 71 74 81
279 Nick O'Hern (Aus) 72 71 66 70, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 70 67 72 70, Fred Couples 68 69 68 74
280 Hunter Mahan 71 69 72 68, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 67 69 69 75, John Mallinger 75 65 70 70, Tommy Armour III 66 70 72 72, Jason Bohn 69 71 66 74
281 Ryan Moore 70 68 67 76, Lee Westwood (Eng) 69 70 68 74, Nicholas Thompson 65 75 71 70
282 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 70 71 66 75, D.A. Points 66 72 72 72, Brian Davis (Eng) 71 69 68 74, Ernie Els (Rsa) 75 66 71 70, Jonathan Byrd 67 70 70 75
283 Kevin Na 73 68 70 72, Steve Marino 69 73 71 70, Justin Leonard 68 70 69 76, Rory McIlroy (NIrl) 67 73 74 69, Ryan Palmer 70 72 72 69, Bo Van Pelt 70 67 68 78, Kevin Sutherland 69 71 68 75
284 Anthony Kim 72 68 70 74, Shaun Micheel 71 72 68 73, Brian Gay 69 73 68 74, Ted Purdy 71 69 73 71, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 72 67 68 77
285 Dudley Hart 68 72 73 72, Chris Stroud 68 75 71 71, Bart Bryant 71 72 69 73, John Merrick 71 72 68 74, Lucas Glover 74 68 66 77, John Senden (Aus) 65 71 71 78, Ben Curtis 70 72 71 72, Jarrod Lyle (Aus) 71 68 71 75, Brandt Jobe 73 69 69 74, Scott Verplank 68 70 71 76, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 70 68 71 76
286 Michael Letzig 71 71 69 75, J J Henry 72 71 70 73, Marc Leishman (Aus) 68 73 71 74, Colt Knost 66 70 69 81, Scott Piercy 66 71 69 80, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 71 70 70 75, Camilo Villegas (Col) 69 72 72 73
287 Chad Campbell 72 71 72 72, Vaughn Taylor 67 72 71 77, John Huston 72 70 70 75
288 Charley Hoffman 71 72 69 76, John Rollins 68 73 72 75, Justin Rose (Eng) 68 74 73 73, Davis Love III 73 69 72 74, Peter Lonard (Aus) 73 69 68 78, Webb Simpson 71 71 71 75
289 Daniel Chopra (Swe) 72 71 66 80, Paul Goydos 71 71 71 76, Briny Baird 65 73 71 80, Heath Slocum 73 67 73 76, Steve Elkington (Aus) 71 71 69 78, Charles Howell III 71 68 71 79
290 Brendon De Jonge 73 69 71 77, Scott McCarron 68 73 72 77, Robert Garrigus 71 68 73 78, Brendon Todd 71 71 69 79, Tom Pernice jun 70 72 71 77, Alex Cejka (Ger) 73 69 73 75
291 Billy Mayfair 70 72 74 75, James Nitties (Aus) 66 72 75 78, Greg Norman (Aus) 71 69 70 81, Tim Wilkinson (Nzl) 68 75 75 73
292 Bob Estes 70 73 74 75, Kirk Triplett 72 69 74 77
294 David Berganio jun 68 73 72 81
295 Jason Dufner 68 73 75 79, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 69 71 74 81
Labels: Pro Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Tuesday, April 07, 2009
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