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TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP BY COCA-COLA

September 24, 2015

Paul Casey

Atlanta, Georgia

Q. Talk about your round and what was going well today.
PAUL CASEY: Ball striking was really good today. I hit a lot of fairways. I felt very good with the game. I felt pretty fatigued -- I pulled out of Deutsche Bank with back issues, which I never really had before and that was just muscular, the back spasmed and wouldn't let go and I couldn't compete on the weekend.

I had a lot of treatment since then and worked on the posture, tried to loosen up that back. And this is really -- compared to last week, which wasn't bad ball striking, this week it's night and day, it feels fantastic.

So, it allows me to drive the ball well around here and that was really the key to getting around. I left myself a lot of nice, relatively easy putts, I wasn't above the hole too often today.

Q. Could you go into a little bit more detail about your back. What exactly it was and what you did to fix it?
PAUL CASEY: Apparently my lower abs decided to shut off. That's either called getting old or lack of working out, one of the two.

So, basically the back has been compensating, trying to take -- do the majority of the work rather than engaging my core.

So, when I got to Deutsche Bank and in that third round, I got out there early because I knew it wasn't right, I had a lot of treatments in the TOUR truck and just shooting pains through the back. And it kind of locked up, the joints a little bit locked up as well, but that's locked up from the muscles. But since then it's massage, soft tissue work, engage the abs.

Q. To give yourself a pat on the back simply making it here after where you've been the last few years and that --
PAUL CASEY: Yeah. Yes. After 2010 where I was -- I had an outside chance of winning both Money Lists in European and in the U.S.

I came in here in 2010, fifth, I believe. I think I finished about fourth and then dropped to sixth because of the way the points were figuring out. It was the year Furyk won, nobody could figure it out. I think -- I believe if I finished second, it might have clinched the FedExCup. So it was a good effort.

Then there was divorce after that and other injuries. So, yeah, it's been a long road. Even starting out this season, which committing to the PGA TOUR, not knowing how that was going to pan out, not being in the Top-50, it's very satisfying to be here. We haven't won yet this year, but I've got time to fix that. Just.

Q. Did you break out a new driver this week?
PAUL CASEY: I did.

Q. Tell us what went into that decision?
PAUL CASEY: Nike Vapor Fly. Because it's bright blue.

Q. That's the main reason?
PAUL CASEY: That's the main reason I put it in. I tested it back in May at Fort Worth, down at the Oven, and I actually haven't seen it since. So when it -- the box arrived in the tour truck this week, I was keen to get after it.

I was apparently second in greens in regulation, fifth in driving last week, so it's not something I need to -- I don't feel I'm lacking in that department anyway. The beautiful thing was is the head design is very similar to the Vapor Speed from before, so the shaft just changed over from previous driver.

So it's a higher launch, flatter ball flight, and I'm picking up distance. I would have to look at the stats today, but I hit one about 320 down 17, which I feel like maybe I've been losing a little bit of distance and haven't quite got my previous driver dialed in. It's one of those things just trying to work on it for a long time and out the box this thing was perfect.

Q. What's the loft on it?
PAUL CASEY: 10.5 and neutral.

Q. And what was the -- when exactly was the first ball you hit with it this week. First time you hit it. When was that?
PAUL CASEY: Tuesday. On the range. And it was airborne and didn't snap hook, which is always a good sign.

I played it, practiced with it on Tuesday and Wednesday. Nine holes each day. Yeah, feeling very comfortable with it. It's still 460, it looks slightly smaller, pea- shaped, classic look, apart from the colors.

Center of gravity, CG is a little lower and a little further back and I think that's just assisting. There was a trend for awhile in a lot of manufacturers to push that CG a little higher a little further forward, which is not something I like. I'm a low spin guy.

Q. Not a lot of equipment, guys changing equipment last tournament of the season. So that's --
PAUL CASEY: No, there's another manufacturer here who brought out driver recently and a lot of guys have jumped all over that. And guys -- there's no point in changing unless it's better and this is, to me, genuinely better.

I also got a new putter, but I didn't change that. Although Kostis said maybe I should have, after the way I putted recently.

Q. How do you find the rough here compared to previous years?
PAUL CASEY: To previous visits to East Lake?

Q. Yeah.
PAUL CASEY: Kind of what I remember. Thick, almost always get a flier. If you're -- if you missed a fairway. For a shot into the green. Around the greens it's extremely difficult to judge. Bermuda is not something I grew up with, so I find it quite tricky.

Doesn't matter how -- it's very difficult anyway to get spin on the ball out of Bermuda. To me it's a case of, if you do miss, as long as you miss it in the right place, then you can give yourself a chance.

Q. Talk about the year Furyk won and the confusion with the points. Do you have a better grasp of it now?
PAUL CASEY: No. But -- no. Henrik can win without winning a tournament this season. The bit that frustrated me was the fact I finished fourth in 2010 and dropped a spot. That baffled me.

Q. Does it baffle you that Henrik could win, could win the FedExCup without having won a tournament?
PAUL CASEY: In the first week at Barclays I felt that it was --part of me felt it was a little unfair. I don't think that's the right word, but the fact that Jason Day had already leapfrogged Jordan Spieth after the very first week of the FedExCup.

And now, I actually think it's slightly unfair that we can all overtake Jason Day, after the way he's played the last three weeks. So, I feel like that the closest I've been to him in about the last six months is my parking space this week.

(Laughter.)

Q. What's it like when a player goes off on a run and kind of takes over golf, whether it's Rory or Tiger or Jordan or Jason. What's it like for the other guys?
PAUL CASEY: You would have to ask Jordan and Rory their feelings on it. For me a little bit of a spectator enjoying that amazing run. And huge motivation to sort of. You know, I got to putt a little better or drive a little better or you know, I was having a joke with Jason just yesterday and I was asked to play a practice round at the Aussie Masters in Huntingdale, you would have to look up the year, by Nike. And on a Wednesday or Tuesday I said okay, that's fine. Who am I playing with? Oh, we got some young guys, and it was Oliver Fisher, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day. And I don't know what their spread was in ages, but sort of 16 to 18 or something like that. I used to knock it past them. I knew I was in trouble as soon as I played with them.

Q. But you got a new driver now so you probably still are. Just trying to help.
PAUL CASEY: Well thank you.

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