Ryder duo find reasons to be cheerful

Ryder Cup team-mates Paul Casey and David Howell were delighted to break par in the final round of the US Open.

The English pair, who combined for a crucial point at Oakland Hills in 2004, both recorded rounds of 69 in sweltering heat at Winged Foot yesterday.

Casey recovered from an opening 77 to finish at 10 over par, making the cut for the first time in four attempts and erasing the memory of an opening 85 last year.

“I’m going to look at that as a success,” said Casey, who was three-under after 10 but dropped shots at 16 and 18. “It’s a round under par in a US Open and I’m very happy with that. I dropped a couple of shots coming in but the greens are tremendously quick and burning.

“I thought eight or nine-over might be close to a top-10 and that was the goal before I went out there. I'm very proud of what I did.

“It would have been very easy after a 77 on Thursday to push and make things happen. It has been very hot but I have managed myself and stayed focused.”

That was one area of his game which Howell felt let him down, the 30-year-old having led by three shots after 14 holes of his opening round before dropping out of contention with a 78 on Friday.

“I lost my patience a bit, try as I did not to, on Friday,” admitted the European number one, one shot behind Casey on 11-over.

“I was trying my best on every shot but in hindsight I made so many classic errors and that is the learning experience I can take from this week.

“I let things drift in the second round quite badly. You cannot afford to do that, you have to steady the ship somehow.

“To finish in the top 20 is no mean feat. Ten years ago if you saw a British player finishing in the top 20 it would be seen as a really strong finish and am I stood here slightly disappointed.

“That is the way things are changing and the way this tournament is changing with a more international field. It is still a pretty positive week for me all in all.”