Paul Casey clearly had the best preparation of anyone coming into this week’s WGC – Bridgestone Invitational.

Casey did not touch a golf club since missing the cut by a stroke in The Open Championship and then returned to shoot an impressive two under par 68 and to be lying just three shots from the lead after round one of the $US 9.25m event

And with his wife, Pollyana and young child the Casey family headed off to Italy.

Paul Casey has been with his family sailing on a boat, cycling and drinks lots of wine ahead of shooting a 68 on day one of the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational.

“I was on a boat on Lake Gara, and then went cycling up in the Dolomites and Colvera, and drank a lot of wine,” he said.

“It was nice.  Very refreshed, very unprecedented for this week and very happy that I shot a 68.

“But then I am playing good golf.  I have got five events in a row and then touch wood maybe seven out of eight weeks all the way through to the Tour Championship.

“That’s the plan.  It’s nice to come into this week feeling very refreshed, feeling like I’ve got a lot of work to do.

“And it’s actually something I quite like rather than being burnt out and not ready for this final push.”