Casey, 35 has been competing on both the PGA and European Tours full time since 2008 with success on both sides of the Atlantic.
However the England golfer has been beset by injury in recent years firstly injuring his ribs at the end of 2009 while earlier this year he damaged his shoulder in a snowboarding mishap in Colorado.
Casey’s two-year PGA Tour exemption also in capturing the 2009 Shell Houston Open expired at the end of last year and with his injury seeing Casey contest only nine events Stateside this season and failing to hold onto to his US Tour card.
Paul Casey in happier times with victory in the 2011 Volvo Champions. (Photo - www.golfbytourmiss.com)
It’s meant teeing up in this week’s Omega European Masters in Switzerland and for a a first time since 2007, and also hoping to draw on memories of finishing a best of third in 2005.
Fortunately Casey’s exempt in Europe given his 2011 Volvo Champions success and with European Tour career earnings of more than Euro 14m.
“I will be playing mainly on the European Tour next year, and the aim to get back into the winner’s circle,” he said.
“I still believe the best years are still ahead of me, because I feel I’m capable of playing better golf than I did in 2006 or 2009.
“But this year has been tough, so I’m already looking forward to the remaining events this year and getting off to a fast start next year.”
Casey’s lowly 233rd ranking on the PGA Tour also meant missing out the lucrative FedEx Cup series as well as failing to qualify for the Euroepan Ryder Cup team
In fact, Casey has made cut two pay cheque from nine PGA Tour events this year earning $US 56,755 while his World Ranking has plummeted also from a high of No. 3 in August 2009 to be currently lying 104th in the world.
“The shoulder’s good now and I’ve spent a lot of time working on my golf game, taking it apart and putting it back together again,” he said.
“I’ve had to be critical about all aspects, which is why it’s taken me longer than I would have liked to get back playing to the level I know I can play at.
“But we are definitely getting there, and I’m feeling sharp and really enthusiastic about my game.”
Casey will play the opening two rounds of the Swiss event in the company of former double British Open winner, Greg Norman and Denmark’s Anders Hansen.
