Sunday steel as Casey in the zone

Sleeping on Saturday evening would not have come easy to the top two players on the eve of their final round of the 2013 Irish Open.

Though both have won twice before, their minds would have been racing. Three rounds down and just one to go.

With well-wishers all around them and a seriously talented pack chasing, now was not the time to second guess themselves. Instead it was the time to relax and get some quality down time ahead of one of the most important days of their lives. If only they could shut off their racing minds. If only they could get a good night’s shut eye!

Through those restless hours during the night, they would have thought about everything to do with the next day’s performance. They would have double checked that the courtesy car was going to be there on time, that their caddy would be there in advance with all his course preparations done. They would want everything perfectly choreographed: a seamless transition to the first tee box if you will.

Having checked the weather conditions for Sunday, they would have known that it was going to be a dry and windy day. Would that change their game plan? Would it favour either player more? It shouldn’t matter but it does. If only they could calm their minds down and get some sleep! Therein lies the beauty of sport. Professional golfers are trained almost exclusively to stay focused on controlling their own on course destiny. Pre-shot routines help guarantee that their minds are sharp as razors, allowing them to focus exclusively on one shot at a time, dismissing the past as well as any other distractions that come into their heads.

If only things were as simple away from the course! The tension ramps up significantly once the player leaves his hotel. Having planned his arrival to the course, he doesn’t want any traffic delays. Once there, his caddy assumes tremendous importance. Quite apart from having a bag fully prepared for competition, (ready for the elements and especially ready with food and drink for four and a half hours of competition), his role is to judge the mood of his player, deflecting unwanted attention.

Until the final round ends, his job is to anticipate, to say the right things at the right times, all so that his player has every opportunity to fully maximise his performance.

Once primed, the baton is then handed over to the player himself.

The walk to the first tee box will signal an adrenalin rush, the throat drying up. Now is the time to identify targets and commit to them. Now is the time for the player to trust and stay focused on his pre-shot routine.

The leading duo’s (Luiten and Larrazabal) swings were a fantastic contrast in styles, Joost’s being modern and very orthodox while Larrazabal’s is more old style, in that his legs and hands are more active throughout.

Starting out, the heavy winds favoured Larrazabal’s greater “feel” and shot-making skills but only if he “holed out” well, something he looked decidedly uncomfortable at doing.

Birdies were never going to be frequent given the difficult course conditions, especially the firm fast greens and it seemed that a consistent round from Luiten’s might just be enough, but the pedigree of the field behind him guaranteed that this was never going to be an ordinary afternoon. When Olazabal became the first to join Luiten at the top of the leaderboard briefly before immediately collapsing, it was wonderful to witness the immediate reaction from the very talented Paul Casey when producing four birdies in a row (holes 8-11) to take the lead. Here was a man with all the pedigree to force Luiten out of his comfort zone.

But “cometh the hour, cometh the man” and at this critical juncture in the final round with so few holes remaining, the man who could handle the pressure best would likely be victorious.

And so it proved. Casey’s exceptional chip shot on 13 set up a three-shot lead and this proved decisive for the multiple winner. In the end, victory came easily but it was well earned. Casey played with all the conviction of a champion. He may well have ridden his luck early on in the final round but he stayed courageous. He had a serious wobble over the closing holes, but that happens when you haven’t won in so long. He was far enough ahead for it not to matter. Hopefully this victory in the Irish Open will relaunch his injury-prone career. As for Robert Rock and Joost Luiten they now understand the importance of staying aggressive. Birdies count especially when competing against the pedigree of players like Paul Casey.