OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

January 30, 2021

Paul Casey

Emirates Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. 64, wonderful round of golf, rounded off in fantastic style with eagle at the last. Describe that second shot right out of the black.

PAUL CASEY: Yeah, it was perfect club, Barty. It always helps when you have a nice number in there. It's a glorious finish. I said to Johnny on the fairway there, that was a cool-looking shot when Monty hit a driver off the deck without the skyline you get now, and it might be cooler now with the skyline. It's one of the iconic shots in golf, isn't it. To have a perfect 3-iron in there and finish off with an eagle is pretty cool.

Q. 64 represents your lowest round by two shots. How would you describe your play today?

PAUL CASEY: Really well. I mean, really good. I mean, you can never say flawless, can you, because there's always errors but it was very controlled. Really enjoyable round of golf; challenging yet at the same time with a little bit of wind here and there, I mean, it's good stuff. Like I said to you, I've said to you many times it seems so far this week, I'm enjoying my golf, and that was an example of it today.

Q. U.S. Open 2017 you and I were chatting and you said, I think I've got three and a half, four, five years left at the top of the game. Three and a half years later, you want to revise that?

PAUL CASEY: Yeah, I've still got three and a half, four, five years left at the top of the game.

I've been very fortunate. The strong asset I have in this game is the way I drive it, the length. The game has gone more and more towards length, and I'm fortunate that I'm still able to lean on that strength and compete out here.

Without that -- look, if I stayed -- we always say, if you stay the same level you're going to go backwards in this game, and every year it gets better and better and better, and every year the young guys come up longer and stronger and they putt it better. There's no question that I'm lucky that my physical attributes have allowed me to maybe give me another five years.

Look, Westy is inspiration, as well, by the way. I saw him this morning. He was looking fit. I've still got to chase those guys.

Q. You've won 14 times on The European Tour, this is an iconic championship, one everyone wants to win. Just put into words what it would mean to you to pull it off?

PAUL CASEY: 15 would be very cool, as well. I've won just down the road. I've never won in Dubai. Yes, you're right, it's iconic. Behind you, I can see the very impressive list of winners, those photos of them behind the 18th green. It's cool. Iconic trophy. Iconic event. Dubai has given so much to golf, especially European Tour, so yeah, that would be very, very cool.

But there's a long way to go yet.