Paul Alexander Casey (born 21 July 1977) is an English golfer who is a member of LIV Golf. He has also played on the US-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. In 2009, he achieved his highest position, third, in the Official World Golf Ranking.[2][3]
In 2008, he married Jocelyn Hefner, a distant cousin of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. The couple lived a quiet life on a remote ranch in rural Arizona, where keen amateur horse woman Jocelyn competed in local equestrian events. The couple divorced in 2011, citing the impact of the demands of Casey's career on their marriage.[4]
After they met at the Formula 1 Chequered Flag Ball at the 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Casey started dating television presenter Pollyanna Woodward.[5] The couple got engaged during the Christmas period in 2013.[5] Soon after, they welcomed their first son, Lex, on 1 September 2014. They married January 2015.
Amateur golf career
His amateur career was distinguished. In the US he won three consecutive Pac-12 Championships (1998, 1999 and 2000). In 2000 he broke the championship scoring record held by Tiger Woods (18 under par) with a 23 under par 265. Back on the other side of the Atlantic he won the English Amateur in 1999 and 2000. He was also a member of Great Britain and Ireland's winning 1999 Walker Cup team, where he was only the third player in 77 years to record four victories without a single defeat.
Casey did not win any individual titles in 2004, but he was a member of the victorious European Ryder Cup team and also won the WGC-World Cup for England in partnership with Luke Donald. Another highlight of his year was a sixth-place finish in his first Masters. He joined the PGA Tour shortly afterwards as a Special Temporary Member and his membership of the 2004 European Ryder Cup Team qualified him for membership of the US based tour for the 2005 season. However he continues to play mainly in Europe, and was the leader of the European Tour Order of Merit in 2006, until Pádraig Harrington overtook him in the final event. He re-joined the PGA Tour in 2009.
Casey has featured in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking and was the highest ranked Englishman for a time. In January 2007 he reached a career high of No. 13 in the rankings.[6]
Casey sparked controversy in November 2004, when in an interview for the Sunday Times newspaper he reportedly said, of the US Ryder Cup team, "Oh, we properly hate them. We wanted to beat them as badly as possible". Several leading American golfers, including Fred Funk and Davis Love III, publicly dismissed the controversy surrounding Casey as tabloid mischief. Casey later apologised, saying the remarks were taken out of context and using the word "hate" was an error. Casey said he has an American coach (Peter Kostis) and an American girlfriend, and says he "has nothing against America".[7]
Casey earned his first PGA Tour win on 5 April 2009 by defeating J. B. Holmes in a one-hole playoff at the Shell Houston Open.[8] This win took him to No. 6 in the Official World Golf Ranking.[9]
Casey won his milestone 10th event on the European Tour at the 2009 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club in Surrey, where he won by one stroke over Wentworth resident and fellow Englishman Ross Fisher. This win vaulted Casey to a career high of 3rd in the Official World Golf Ranking.[2] He had been ranked at No. 41 at the beginning of 2009.[3] Casey suffered a rib injury at the 2009 Open Championship, limiting the amount of golf he could play in the second half of 2009.
In June 2013, Casey won his 12th European Tour title at The Irish Open to end a two-and-a-half-year winless drought, due to form and fitness problems.[12] He captured the title with a final round 67 in changeable conditions, to win by three strokes over Joost Luiten and Robert Rock. He had begun the day four shots behind the leader Luiten, but a run of five birdies in six holes in the middle of the round opened up a three shot lead. It was reduced to one stroke, when Casey bogeyed the 15th and 16th, but a closing eagle on the par five 18th sealed the victory.[13]
In September 2014, Casey won his 13th European Tour title at the KLM Open in the Netherlands, his first victory of the 2014 season. He took victory after posting a final round 66, putting him one shot ahead of runner up, and fellow Englishman Simon Dyson. He started the final round four strokes off the lead of Romain Wattel. The victory was especially emotional and gratifying as Casey's wife Pollyanna had given birth to the couple's first child two weeks prior to the event.[14]
In 2015, Casey chose to give up his European Tour exemption and focus solely on the PGA Tour, citing a need to lessen his travel.[15] In February 2015, Casey finished in a tie for second at the Northern Trust Open after losing in a sudden-death playoff to James Hahn. Casey finished the tournament at six-under-par, tied with Hahn and Dustin Johnson. After the trio all parred the first extra hole, Casey could only make a par on the second extra hole and was eliminated when Hahn and Johnson both got up and down for birdies from the green-side rough. Casey continued his good form in America the following week, when he finished in a tie for third at the Honda Classic, one shot outside a playoff. Two weeks later he equalled his 2004 performance by finishing tied for 6th place in the 2015 Masters.
In December 2015, Casey chose not to rejoin the European Tour for the following 2016 season, which made himself unavailable to qualify for the 2016 Ryder Cup.[16] Casey reached the 15th position in the Official World Golf Rankings, just prior to the 2016 Ryder Cup, due to his in-form performances in the PGA Tour playoff tournaments immediately before the Ryder Cup event.[17] Casey admitted that he was hurt that he was not able to participate in the 2016 Ryder Cup, due to his decision then not to obtain European Tour member status, whilst others noted that England's most in-form golfer then, was remarkably absent from the premier golf team event.[18]
Casey rejoined the tour in late October 2017 with aspirations of making the European team for the 2018 match at Le Golf National.[19] Casey remarked that he needed to play in another Ryder Cup, he missed the European Tour and being part of English golf.[20] Casey was subsequently selected for the EurAsia Cup in January 2018.[21] Casey scored two points out of a possible three and, ahead of the tournament, said he had 'no issues' speaking with 2010 Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, who infamously overlooked the then world No. 9 for a spot on the European team at Celtic Manor.[22] However, Casey admitted that he was hurt by the omission from Team Europe of the 2010 Ryder Cup, by not scoring sufficient points to qualify for the team, whilst having never questioned the captain's decisions on selecting individual picks for the team.[23] Casey also acknowledged that he was not selected for the Ryder Cup teams in both 2012 and 2014, as he struggled with his golf game then.[24]
Casey won the Valspar Championship in 2018, his first PGA Tour win in nine years.
In September 2018, Casey was named as a captain's pick by Thomas Bjørn for the European team participating in the 2018 Ryder Cup. Europe defeated the U.S. team by a dominant margin of 17.5 to 10.5 at Le Golf National outside Paris, France. Casey went 1–1–1 including a half in his singles match against Brooks Koepka.[25]
Casey missed a chance to win the 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, when he failed to convert a three-stroke 54-hole lead. He was chased down and passed by Phil Mickelson, who claimed a three-stroke victory. Casey birdied the last during a Monday finish to claim solo second. He did however win the Pro-Am tournament with playing partner Don Colleran.[26]
In March 2019, Casey successfully defended his Valspar Championship title with a one-stroke victory over Jason Kokrak and Louis Oosthuizen, to claim his third PGA Tour title.
In September 2019, Casey won the Porsche European Open at Green Eagle Golf Course in Hamburg, Germany. Casey earned his 14th European Tour victory and his first since winning the KLM Open in 2014.[27]
Paul Casey tees off at Trump National in Bedminster, NJ, while competing for LIV Golf. Casey placed 6th at the LIV Golf Invitational Bedminster.
In August 2020, Casey finished tied for second at the 2020 PGA Championship along with Dustin Johnson, both finished two strokes behind Collin Morikawa. This marked his best career finish in a major championship and moved him to 19th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
In November 2020, Casey shot a seven under 65 to hold a share of the first round lead at the Masters. He ultimately finished the tournament T38, with subsequent rounds of 74-71-77.
In January 2021, Casey claimed his 15th European Tour victory, at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, with a four-stroke victory over Brandon Stone.[28] The win saw him move back into the top 20 in the world rankings. In August that year, Casey finished in a tie for 3rd place at the Olympic Games. He lost in a 7-man playoff for the bronze medal.[29]
In July 2022, Casey joined the LIV Golf tour and placed sixth at his first tournament at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, winning $648,000 in the process. Casey competes for Crushers GC in LIV Golf. Casey then finished 21st at LIV Golf Invitational Boston, played at The International Golf Club in Bolton, Massachusetts, talking home $171,200. In 2023, Casey's team Crushers GC took home the team event victory at LIV Golf Mexico held at the El Camaleon Golf Course in Mayakoba.
WD = Withdrew QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play NT = no tournament "T" = tied Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009. Note that the Championship and Invitational were discontinued from 2022.
Team appearances
Amateur
Walker Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1999 (winners)
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