Now Casey wants to copy the Master

14 April 2012

Paul Casey today revealed a new determination to conjure up the same magic that saw his mentor Phil Mickelson win a maiden major title at the US Masters.

Casey was making his debut at Augusta National, one of the most daunting tests in world golf, but he played like a mature veteran to finish as the top British player in a tie for sixth place.

Coming a fortnight after he took a share of 10th place in the Players Championship, golf 's unofficial 'fifth' major, the weekend result confirmed the promotion of Casey from the status of also-ran to that of genuine contender.

The 26-year-old from Weybridge in Surrey was also quick to acknowledge Mickelson's contribution to a career shaped at the same university as that attended by the perpetrator of one of the most dramatic finishes in Masters history.

Casey was a star student at Arizona State, where he broke Mickelson's record scoring average before going on to beat the scoring record in University league matches set by Tiger Woods.

After watching Mickelson sink his 18ft-birdie putt on the final green to clinch a one-shot victory over Ernie Els, Casey said: "Phil has helped me enormously in my career.

"We went to the same university and he would come down and help out those guys on the golf team such as myself.

"He'd give us tips, and we'd play against him. You can't buy that kind of experience. Now I'm just very, very happy for him. Phil's had a lot of flack for failing to win a major before now, but he put a lot of hard work into this victory and it paid off."

Casey was particularly impressed with the courage displayed by the 33-year-old Californian in ditching his trademark aggressiveness and replacing it with a more measured approach to his 47th major.

Casey said: "Phil did a nice job of choosing the right shots. He managed his game correctly, but he still played with flair and imagination." Now Casey can't wait to emulate his master instructor.

Boosted by second and third rounds of 69 and 68, he went into the last day chasing in third place only to fade with a 74 for a two-under-par total of 286, seven shots behind Mickelson. Casey insisted: "Where I finished and the score I finished with didn't reflect the golf I played. I felt I played better than that.

"I'm definitely going to take a lot away from this week and I feel like I'm a lot stronger for it. I feel I've handled the pressure well. I've done everything I've needed to do in order to play good golf. I certainly feel I've got the game, if I work hard on certain aspects, to win a green jacket."

In September, Casey will play a prominent part in Europe's attempt to retain the Ryder Cup against Mickelson and the rest of the United States team.

European captain Bernhard Langer, whose bold bid to become the oldest winner of the Masters ended in the pond guarding the front of the 15th green, partnered Casey on Sunday and was impressed by him.

The 46-year-old German, twice a winner at Augusta, said: "Paul certainly kept his nerve. He just made a bunch of silly mistakes. He didn't putt very well, but he hit a lot of good shots and played very well for a first-timer at Augusta. Paul will store away a lot of good memories and that will help him over the next few years."

The enduring memory is of Mickelson's leap for unbridled joy when he became only the fourth player after Arnold Palmer, Sandy Lyle and Mark O'Meara to win the Masters with a 72nd-hole birdie.

For so long he had been coowner with Colin Montgomerie of the title "Best Player Never to Win A Major".

But this was the one the lefthander finally got right. " Having come so close, so many times, it makes it much more special and sweeter. It's just awesome," he said.

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