Casey anxious to play in Ryder Cup under McGinley

Defending Irish Open champion Paul Casey admits he is still a long way back in the rankings for a place in this year’s European Ryder Cup team.

But he still entertains hopes of making it, all the more so because he believes Paul McGinley will make an outstanding captain. Indeed, he thinks he has already justified his selection ahead of such leading candidates as Colin Montgomerie.

“I think Paul will be great and I’m very glad that I voted for him,” said the Englishman who is now on the point of further resurrecting his golfing career after injury and personal problems.

“I think he’ll be a fantastic captain the week of the Ryder Cup and it would be an honour to play for him.

But it’s one of those things you don’t know. Paul can only do so much. He can only get his team as ready as he can get them and hopefully that’s good enough to retain the Ryder Cup.

“I would like him to go down as one of the best captains we’ve ever had.

“Given the way he has approached this, leaving no stone unturned, yeah, it would be nice for people to understand how much work he’s already put in and how much work he’ll continue to put into this because he’s been very impressive so far.”

Casey is hoping to revive memories of last year’s three shot victory that he sealed with a dramatic 50 foot eagle putt on the 72nd green. Winning the Irish Open means even more to him because his great grandfather was Irish.

As for the family connection with Ireland, Casey happily recounted how “it got emotional after I got home last year with the trophy. I hadn’t seen my dad like that before.

“He told me ‘your great grandfather would have been extremely proud’. He certainly was and I will try to make it happen again this week.

“That win was huge for me confidence-wise. I felt like I played some very, very good golf since then. The focus has been alright ever since and now I think of how far I can get up the leader board without at all focusing on how to do it. It’s a case of I know I can do it. Casey is a Cork name.

“One of my cousins in the States has done a whole lot of research and I will try to find out more this week.”