Golf-Great Europeans are behind England’s golden run, says Casey (Reuters)
March 9, 2010
By Simon Evans
MIAMI, March 9 (Reuters) – English golf is enjoying a spellof rare global prominence with three players in the top-10rankings and number six Paul Casey believes the credit lies witha great generation of Europeans led by Seve Ballesteros.
Ten years ago there were just two Englishmen in the top 100but with Casey now just below fourth-ranked Lee Westwood andfifth-placed Ian Poulter, the transformation has beenimpressive.
“My take on it is, it’s the result of the great Europeangolf that I was watching when I was a kid back in the 80s andearly 90s,” Casey told reporters on Tuesday ahead of this week’sWGC-CA Championship at Doral.
“Nick Faldo, Seve, Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle,Monty (Colin Montgomerie) … (Jose Maria) Olazabal was quiteyoung but he was sort of part of that movement too. ThoseEuropeans got me interested in the game.
“That was when I loved to watch and I got to see them live.I think if you asked these other Englishmen, Brits and Europeanswho have now risen among us in the world rankings that was thereason they got hooked,” said Casey.
“It’s just taken 20 years or so for us to hone our skills.”
For the 32-year-old Casey it was five-times major winnerBallesteros who made the biggest impression.
SEVE’S PASSION
“I remember each one of those great golfers for differentreasons. For Seve it was the passion, it was the sort of spirithe played it in and the recovery shots.
“More often than not the memories are the shots he hit outof trouble, difficult situations … I don’t remember the pureshots he hit from the middle of the fairway even though I’m surethey were fantastic,” said Casey.
“It was that ‘anything’s possible’ attitude and usually hepulled the shots off. I got to see it live and I feel very, verylucky I got to see it in person.”
Casey, Westwood and Poulter are now mentioned among thecontenders in each tournament they enter but it is the searchfor a major title—the last Englishman to win one was Faldo atthe U.S. Masters 14 years ago—that animates them the most.
“It’s a bit of a race right now. I think a big challenge iseach one of us wants to win a major … who is going to be thefirst guy to do it?,” said Casey.
“When you think of how many good Englishmen there have been,potential is one thing but these guys are starting to fulfil itand show everybody we have a lot of great players.”
(Editing by Tony Jimenez. To query or comment on this storyemail sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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