Casey lets his golf clubs do the talking

PAUL CASEY learned several valuable lessons this week. He will certainly know when not to speak his mind again about Americans.

His comments have cost him a lot of friends - and his lucrative contract with Titleist, which will not be renewed next year.

For the past four days, however, he allowed his golf clubs to do the talking, taking the lead role as he and Luke Donald captured the World Cup for England for only the second time in Seville yesterday.

Casey has finished fifth, third, second and first in the last four World Cups and yesterday’s 64 marks the lowest foursomes score in the tournament, beating the previous mark of 65 set by the US team of Phil Mickelson and David Toms in Mexico in 2002.

“I’m possibly a stronger player as a result of it all and thicker skinned as well”, said Casey. “I’m very happy with the way I’ve handled myself this week. I’ve been very professional. I’ve not enjoyed what’s happened early in the week and this is a nice way to finish.

“I’ve tried to put all my focus on my golf as soon as I’ve arrived at the course and I’m very proud that I’ve managed to do that. There were a lot of distractions.

“I don’t know what the American crowds will be like when I play over there. I hope they will be very receptive. I really don’t know. I’m going to work on my golf game during the off-season and try to repair any damage I can. I still feel upset with various people for what’s happened but we will move on.

“I’m looking forward to the States but there’s a little something in there. I’m a little bit worried about it. All I can do is try and play good golf and that’s it.”

You have to credit Casey with a great deal of moral fortitude, given all he has been through. It can’t have been easy to concentrate on the golf with all that was going on off the course but he did so magnificently, especially when it came to sinking a whole rack of big putts around the turn. For instance: 4th, 30 feet; 7th, 20 feet; 9th, eight feet; 10th, 50 feet; 11th, 17 feet; 12th, 12 feet; 18th four feet.

“I think Luke and I are such a good pair because we trust each other’s game,” he observed. “We don’t apologise for any bad shots because we know we’re both giving 110%. We also know the type of shots each of us prefer.”

Donald added: “Our games are very different but that sometimes has its benefits. We mix our strengths pretty well. I’m a straight hitter and hit a lot of greens. Paul is a very powerful hitter and is very good on the greens.”

Garcia and Jimenez accepted their defeat with due equanimity, with Sergio commenting: “Paul and Luke played unbelievable golf and you have to give them a lot of credit. To go out there on a Sunday playing for the World Cup and shoot eight under in foursomes is a great effort.”