By his own admission England’s Paul Casey is in a good place in his private life and he’s now, and for a second week running, in a very good place on the PGA Tour.
When the siren sounded due to darkness to halt play at 6.18pm local time Casey and fellow Brit Ian Poulter were sharing the lead on seven under on the PGA National course in the rain-affected Honda Classic.
Casey, and currently ranked 65th in the world, had played nine fourth round holes and Poulter seven and with the round to restart at 8am local time Monday.
The very affable Casey, who has won a dozen times on the European Tour, is seeking to win on the PGA Tour for a second time since capturing the 2009 Shell Houston Open.
Paul Casey in a feel good mood and with nine holes to play in the Honda Classic. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
“It would be very satisfying to win this event as it a golf course I have massive respect for and it’s a great field we’ve had here this week, so win would be huge,” he said
“I’ve won once on the PGA Tour despite 12 wins on the European Tour, and on top of going so close last week, and the fact everything is so good in my personal life, I am ready to win.
“I feel like I am playing good golf and there is no obstacles in the way and in my life, so everything is great on and off the golf course.
“There is nothing just standing there in the way to distract me and that is a great feeling to have, and while that doesn’t mean I will win I hope I can win this year and if I win tomorrow that would be fabulous.”
And Casey was showing no ill-effects despite sporting a bandage on his left wrist in injuring tendons while playing from rough on route to losing out in a play-off in L.A.
“No, the wrist is fine and the bandage is more of a precautionary measure but I feel good and now in with a real shout of going one better than last week,” said Casey.
Paul Casey ponders a question after moving into a share of the lead after nine holes of the rain-affected 2015 Honda Classic. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
“And given how well I played last week my confidence is great. I never like to look back. But I feel like when I was playing some great golf in 2009, 2010, it feels like that kind of stuff. Probably even more so than that time in my golf career because off the golf course, I’m so relaxed and happy with where I’m at with I think the combination of being extremely happy off the course and confidence on the course, I think I’m maybe playing as good of golf, if not better than I’ve played in the past.”
Poulter went into his fourth round with a three shot lead at nine under par but doubled the fifth and bogeyed the sixth in finding water on both occasions before steadying proceedings with a 7th hole birdie.
American Patrick Reed, who will defend this week’s WGC – Cadillac Championship, is in third place at six under par after seven holes.
Four players, including Phil Mickelson (eight holes) and Scotland’s Russell Knox (eight holes), were tied in fourth place on four under par.
Triplle Major winning Padraig Harrington who was lying second after three rounds, and having saved par at 18 after losing a ball into the lake guarding the green, had dropped to ninth place on three under par after taking a bogey at four and a double bogey at the sixth.
