SLYNC.IO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

January 26, 2022

Paul Casey

Emirates Golf Club

Press Conference

TOM CARLISLE: Thank you for joining us and welcome to the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, defending champion here at Emirates Golf Club. How does that feel?

PAUL CASEY: It feels great. There's not many times you're defending champion. Feels brilliant. For me it was an emotional win last year, big win. This year, we're back, it's Rolex Series, a new sponsor with Slync.io. It feels great. We have got fans back which is even better, so it's wonderful to be back in Dubai.

Q. I remember speaking to you last year after your win, as you say, you were very emotional. What's it like having a year to process it and just seeing your name on that trophy alongside some of Europe's greatest?

PAUL CASEY: It's very cool, in fact, a guy came around with a flag, he's had all the previous past champions sign and he's got pretty much everybody but Seve, bless him. And you start to look at guys on there, Wayne, Ernie, Mark James, all sorts of stuff. I've always thought this is -- well, it is one of the iconic events, not just in European golf but in global golf.

So to see the trophy again, I saw it on Monday night in the event down the road and to see my name next to other great champions is a very, very cool thing, it's not something I take lightly. I've still yet to defend a title on the European Tour. I did it in the States. I did it as an amateur. I'd love to do it on the DP World Tour.

Q. Your second start this year, T16 in Singapore and last time you were in Dubai, you were T9. What sort of shape is your game in having had a few months off?

PAUL CASEY: Yeah, eight weeks off between the climax in Dubai and Singapore last week, hard to work really hard all the way through a holiday break, so Christmas is a big holiday home. But I've certainly put the work in. I feel like my game, kind of made some gains with the game.

Physically I'm in much better shape than I was in the back end of 2021, swing-wise I feel like I'm hitting it better. I'm not sure I'm quite sharp as I was this time last year. Without too long an answer, 2021 was a wonderful start and feel like I fizzled out a little bit and that's something I want to correct this year, have a great season all the way through. Things like fitness have become more of a priority again.

I think, where am I at? I don't know, going to find out this week but I'm certainly excited and I've done a lot of work.

Q. Just sort of reflecting on the performance in Singapore last week, obviously poor first round. How pleased were you with the remaining 54?

PAUL CASEY: First round was not very good. I was still thinking a lot about the golf swing. Done a lot of work about the swing and still thinking about the swing and technique and lessons. What was really disappointing was the last -- I dropped, what, three shots on the last four holes which is just not good, is it. It's rubbish.

I had work to do. I was second there in 2019 and I said I had some unfinished business back in 2019 and I had committed to going back. I worked hard to make the cut, and then, you know, it sort of started to come good. I messed it up again on Sunday, made a double late in the round. But there was some very good golf; at one point I was 7-under for the round. Feeling good. For me I'm excited to get out on the golf course because I feel like every competitive round I play just going to make me sharper.

I admit, I missed some of the -- normally I would have -- I play a lot of golf leading up to the season, and I didn't this year. Why? The virus is still an issue, so there's a lot of games I normally play when I'm in Arizona, and I had friends left, right and center who were ill, who were positive, and so I kind of avoided that stuff. So I'm just behind. I'm behind on prep.

Q. You are looking in pretty good shape. Was that a deliberate thing after Christmas or just a general plan overall?

PAUL CASEY: I think general plan. I mean, I look back at last year and there were a lot of great things. But I felt like I wasn't able to continue that really good form from the beginning of the season. Why? The swing broke down. Why? Because of physical -- just physical ability. Just wasn't quite there.

Maybe general conditioning, overall golf conditioning. Range of motion, strength. It's not one thing. It's a whole bunch of stuff. I still work with Peter Kostis as you know, and he basically said you're not in as good of shape as you used to be, which is -- great, thanks. It was not -- a rude awakening but I felt it basically and back on the horse and hard as work.

Q. Is it cycling or just general gym work that's been working for you?

PAUL CASEY: General gym work. The bike thing I love it's just with the kids, it's just time management is so difficult and it's difficult to be motivated. The sun is not coming up until 7 in the morning -- actually 7.15, 7.20 and I'm taking my eldest to school at 7.30 in the car. I'll be honest, waking up at 5.30 in pitch black to go bike riding is not particularly appealing. I'll get there.

Q. Big debate after Jon Rahm's caught on camera comments the other week about, I don't know if you've seen these?

PAUL CASEY: If he missed by the fairway an inch, it's worse than missing it by 20 yards, or something.

Q. That's what he said yesterday, but he was caught on camera in the AMEX saying it was an f'ing putting contest saying the setup was too easy. You've seen all kinds of course setups. What's your thoughts?

PAUL CASEY: I find it -- not Jon's comments, but I find it quite funny because we all just get accused of all gamers; all these guys do is smash 2350 yards now. That's what Geoff Shackelford says, anyway. When Cam Smith and everybody else shoots 36-under par, you know, fail to mention guys are actually brilliant putters, to reiterate Jon's point.

Sorry, what was the question?

Q. Just where do you sort of come down? Jon Rahm was safely basically saying he wants to see setups that test every facet of the game, I think is what he said yesterday.

PAUL CASEY: I think we do. It's a very difficult thing, setting up the golf course. Doubly so when the AMEX is a Pro-Am format and you have a responsibility to provide an environment which is challenging for the players but not too challenging for the amateurs. The same will be said about AT&T.

And look, it's always been -- as far as I can remember, it's kind of always been -- that's always been a discussion, isn't it. It's just very difficult to set up a golf course the way we would like. We are, you know, we are incredibly opinionated when it comes to golf course setup, architecture, golf ball debate. We are all those things; we have our opinions.

Jon is not necessarily wrong. That's just one week, though, isn't it. It's just trying to manage it.

Q. You were talking about your physical conditioning earlier and how you bet better at the start of the season. You had the two Top 10s early in spring and summer. Is it a case of you, yourself, Poults, Sergio, still playing incredibly high level into your mid 40s, if you can maintain that physicality, do you think you know what it is that would get you over the line at a major at this slightly advanced age?

PAUL CASEY: You're not wrong. What will it take? I mean, with all due respect, it will take some phenomenal golf by me which I know I can play. I think it will also require a bit of luck. You know, with respect to guys we are currently seeing, Collin Morikawa, Bryson, you can list the names, Jon Rahm, I'll need those guys to falter slightly, won't I.

I'll be brutally honest; my best golf against Jon Rahm's best golf, I think Jon is going to win, plain and simple. So I need a little bit of luck. But there's no reason why I can't have a bit of luck and why I can't catch a bit of lightning in a bottle. I've got all the physical attributes and to be honest the more I get -- it's taken me a long time and I've always looked at these guys, Collin is a great example, and Jon, they are so mature, so young. I didn't have those maturity and ability and that ability emotionally, mentally. I find it very, very impressive.

I'm just starting to get there in my 40s. Too late maybe but it is what it is. There's no lack of desire and passion and belief on my front, on my part. You know, getting close at Harding Park a couple years ago, there's no reason why I can't challenge at Augusta or St Andrews or anywhere else this year.

Q. Looking at the numbers this week, three former champions in the field, Rory has 14 wins on Tour, you've got 15, Sergio has got. Is there a gentle rivalry between you guys between you guys, you're in that top 20 all-time European Tour, are you challenging each other? Does that spur you on?

PAUL CASEY: I had not thought about that. I saw a thing on Instagram a couple days ago, my favourites on there, Seve and stuff like that. I was actually tickled that I made that list. Luckily they stretched; there was enough room on the Instagram photo, I just made it down the bottom. I was tickled by that. And I did wonder where Rory was. He'll be passing me very shortly don't worry. That's no rivalry. You know, there's always more than enough to go around. We are just trying to win what we can, simple as that.