Awesome Casey powers into lead

England’s Paul Casey amassed 21 points with a magnificently aggressive third round of 63 at the ANZ Championship to lead the tournament into the final day.

The 25-year-old – from Weybridge, UK, but based in the year-round heat of Scottsdale, Arizona – scorched the links at the NSW Golf Club with the best round of the tournament, leaving playing partner Stuart Appleby clinging to his coat-tails in second place.

Appleby’s round included nine birdies, with the only blip being three points lost on the par-four seventh.

On any other day, the Australian would have done enough to hold the tournament lead after 54 holes.

But Casey was in scintillating form and set the mark at 39 points, six ahead of Appleby.

Sweden’s Robert Karlsson eagled the last to leap into third place on 31 points, one ahead of European ‘Rookie of the Year’ Nick Dougherty, who had claims to the story of the day until Casey showed up, and Australian Nick O’Hern.

“Paul was just lapping me, running around me, dancing around me,” said Appleby.

“He made it look easy today, but it was hard work even though he looked so good at times.

“He’s a good player, as you saw today. He hits it long, strong, good touch, good chipping, good putting. The guy’s going to play well for a long time.”

The tournament is one of only two in the world to employ the modified Stableford scoring system, used to encourage attacking golf.

A birdie wins two points, an eagle five – and with a par being zero and a bogey only minus one the onus is on the players to attack the pin.

It suits Casey’s game to a tee, and he responded to a bogey and dropped point on the first hole to reach the turn in 30 – having put together a dramatic run of five birdies and an eagle in seven holes which propelled him into the outright lead.

He then claimed seven further points on the back nine with four more birdies - including one on 15 with a 30ft putt from the semi-rough on the left of the green, up the uninviting bank and in.

“I think the format encourages you to forget what score you are on, and you are out there to make birdies and try and make eagles,” he said.

“I’ve always thrown a lot of birdies and eagles in my rounds but unfortunately a lot of bogeys too. I think this format suits me. It rewards the aggressive.”

Casey was unsurprised to find himself leading a pro tournament into the final day a for a third time.

The first occasion led to his maiden tour victory at the Scottish PGA Championship at Gleneagles in 2001, and he has learned a great deal from his gutsy show at the Heineken Classic last week.

Leading at the halfway stage, he stumbled over the weekend but hung on to finish tied for fourth.

“Last week was a good learning experience,” he said.

“I was disappointed with the way I played over the weekend. I didn’t throw it away; I hung in there and I am glad I am back in that position again.

“Is it a surprise to me? No, I’m enjoying it.”

When Casey topped the leaderboard after nine holes he ousted Dougherty, another of England’s hugely promising young guns.

The 20-year-old completed a remarkable turn-around, having only just made the cut in a dramatic finish on Friday to earn 17 points from a faultless round of 64.

After 23 holes, his fellow Englishman Dougherty was on minus four points – and with only five holes left in his second round the danger of missing the cut loomed large.

But he finished with two birdies and two eagles, including a chip in on the last, to make the cut by just two points.

Dougherty saw it as a second opportunity and went for his shots to card six birdies and an eagle on the par-five 12th.

“I played awesome golf,” he said. “I went out there, hit the shots, knocked the putts in and bingo.

“I was given the chance with what happened yesterday and was able to take the confidence from that great finish.

“Six birdies and an eagle – that’s good golf on any course, especially this one.”

David Howell won the tournament last year and remained in touch with four players on 26 points – while Wales’ Jamie Donaldson and England’s Steve Webster were also in the top 20.

Level with Webster on 23 points was Peter Lonard, whose round was undone by three dropped points at the fifth.

Craig Parry endured another fluctuating day.

One point off the lead at the halfway stage, he carded seven bogeys and made just one point from his round of 75 to lie 17 adrift of Casey.