U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2021

June 19, 2021

Paul Casey

Torrey Pines Golf Course

Flash Interview

Q. How would you describe your round today?

PAUL CASEY: Very good. Any time you can have seven birdies in a round of golf at a U.S. Open, it's a good day. It was highly enjoyable. There was nothing to lose for the early guys this morning like myself. Squeezing in that cut yesterday, squeaking through, so tried to take advantage of a benign -- relatively benign conditions, it was really good, and then Jordan played some really good golf, and we just kind of fed off each other and got going.

Q. The leaders go off in about an hour. What can they expect?

PAUL CASEY: You know, more of the same of what they've already experienced to be honest. The golf course hasn't changed that much. If you keep your nose clean, yes, you can make some birdies out there. I've proved that today, but it will bite at any opportunity. You've got to take advantage of -- the course setup has been brilliant, so Jason and Nicky and whoever else is on that group that sets it up -- some tees are forward like 9. 9, I had a 4-iron in there. Well, it was a long 4-iron, 256 front, but I had a 4-iron in there. And 18 is a tee or two up, I'm not sure how far.

But those holes -- Blandy is not the longest, he's very straight. I reckon Blandy can still get to 9, but everybody can get to 18, which is very cool. You've got to take advantage of those. So look, the leaders have got a great golf course if they keep playing well. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody shoots mid-60s today.

Q. Along those lines, can you imagine someone going out maybe early tomorrow and making a run almost towards the lead?

PAUL CASEY: Yeah. I hope it's me -- well, I won't be that early, will I now. I think it depends on what they do with the setup. I hope that they don't go with every -- I hope they don't go with every kind of pin that they can think of and every hard long tee, all that kind of stuff. So if they are, I think, receptive to the idea of allowing guys to go for something, yeah, why not?

And then yes, somebody could do that, and then the pressure, and if a bit of wind picks up, you could have a guy -- maybe not as drastic as what we saw at Kiawah because that was a change, a true change, wasn't it, in conditions that we saw there, and I'm not necessarily a fan of that because that was a bit lopsided, says the guy who was on the later tee time.

But no reason why -- yeah, I'd like to see that, to be honest.

Q. Would the Olympics be on your mind this week given that the deadline is approaching?

PAUL CASEY: Maybe. Considering -- you couldn't even slide a piece of paper between Fitzy and I, can you? I mean, it's like, try not to think about it.

Q. You will have known Blandy a long time, won't you?

PAUL CASEY: Yeah.

Q. Have you followed his incredible last month?

PAUL CASEY: It's been brilliant. I'm genuinely so happy for him, and Barty, as well. I didn't realize Barty said on TV this morning, I think Blandy lipped out, maybe his 20th event or something like that he ever played, he lipped out for a chance to win the Irish Open or something like that or get in a playoff. How different it could have been.

He's always been a brilliant ball striker, great guy. I don't know a person on Tour who doesn't have a kind word to say about Blandy. He had a great nickname for a while, I'll tell you that later, which means he's a good guy because he's got a great nickname.

Yeah, so happy for him. 99.9 percent of other people would have stopped, would have quit.