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VOLVO MASTERS

October 29, 2006

Paul Casey

SOTOGRANDE, SPAIN: Final Round

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Q. How do you feel about your day's work?

PAUL CASEY: Pretty satisfied. Today was the first day where I felt really good health wise, and I was able to take advantage of that and attack the golf course a little bit.

So 2 under is probably one of the best rounds of golf I've actually shot at Valderrama. I think it's certainly it makes it difficult for Padraig. I think it takes away the possibility of him finishing third place and moving head of me and might even have pushed out made Robert Karlsson's job a little more difficult, I didn't do the calculations. It was as good as I could do today, simple as that.

Q. Were you able to keep your mind on the job?

PAUL CASEY: Yeah, I'm pretty good, if I've got a goal and something I need it achieve, I've got no issues with going out there and trying to do it and I don't get too distracted with what the other guys are doing. There's nothing I can do to affect their round of golf, nor should there be. Play my own game, stay in the present and that's what I did the whole way around.

Q. What will you do now?

PAUL CASEY: I'll just sit in the locker room and hang out with the guys.

Q. With the TV?

PAUL CASEY: Maybe. (Laughing).

Q. What do you think are the things you've done well this year, that you've been most pleased with in your game?

PAUL CASEY: I think eliminating mistakes. It's been very consistent. I've eliminated a lot of mistake that I used to make. I've kept the ball in play well. I think all around, the game has just become a lot better and I've matured mentally, and maybe physically as well. I think I'm able to swing the club better than I used to be able to swing it. I can get the club into a better position and that leads to consistency.

Q. What about the improvement in your mental strategy, the remark you made 18 months ago, the way you played?

PAUL CASEY: Well, it can only go one way, a few years ago. It's difficult to pinpoint, difficult to say what I've done exactly, I'm not sure. I've just worked very, very hard and I tried to build the confidence without being cocky, just sort of go out there and try and now I'm able to hit golf shots and at the same time sort of take my medicine, and then when I have to, ease back and put it in position. Just play a very simple, strategic round of golf, plod my way around the golf course, which I've done quite nicely the last few months.

Q. Being European No. 1, does that sound nice? Good ring to it?

PAUL CASEY: Sounds very nice. We'll see what happens in a few hours.

Yeah, it would be as I said in early press conferences, it was one of the goals that was out there at the beginning of the year, but I didn't honestly think it was attainable. But as the year sort of progressed, then it obviously became a more achievable goal.

Q. Success in America and the majors, obviously.

PAUL CASEY: That's the next thing. If, you know, whatever happens in a few hours happens, but I'd like to you know, if I do win this thing, then I'd like to try and emulate what a lot of the guys who have won the Vardon Trophy have gone on to do; you know, success in majors. You know, you look at the names on the trophy, I know Monty doesn't have a major, but, the great players who have won this, they have got some staggering achievements between them. So if I can just emulate a few of those, I'll be very, very happy.

Q. Do you feel you're ready to win a major?

PAUL CASEY: I'm getting close. I know Luke sort of felt like he was certainly ready this year and very keen to try and get one, and I'm getting there. I feel the game's coming around. I think you've got to really be accepting of everything that goes with winning a major and I think that's part of the battle and one of the things that you have to overcome, not only the physical element, getting the golf ball around a very tough golf course and beating the other guys, but the emotional, being able to handle everything that goes with that. This is just another stepping stone towards that.

Q. Any words of congratulations from the No. 1 from across the Atlantic?

PAUL CASEY: I'm not sure if he's got my number. (Laughter) K.J. Choi? (Laughter).

Q. What are the things that are worrying you about winning A major?

PAUL CASEY: I think there's a lot of media scrutiny and consumption of your time, and I think there are certainly players who have tasted that and then their games have maybe dipped a little bit because they don't like that.

So I think you just have to be very willing of everything that's going to come along, the good points and the bad.

Q. Do you study Tiger?

PAUL CASEY: I have to confess, I don't really study any players. That sounds sort of bad. I observe but I don't really study.

Q. Have you ever stood on the range watching him hit balls?

PAUL CASEY: A little not I've watched him hit balls. A bit shy. I don't really want to bother him.

Q. He's pretty good.

PAUL CASEY: He is pretty good, isn't he. I don't think I would go to the range and watch, however I do study when I'm playing with guys. That's where I learn the most.

Q. Some of the other players that you mentioned that have won the Order of Merit and majors, do they have anything that you would like to take into your own game, like Langer or Seve

PAUL CASEY: Well, every player has their qualities, and every player has I think areas that they are better in than I am. There's too many to list. My golfing heroes growing up, there wasn't just one. It was sort of the whole European pack, the Langers, the Faldos, Woosie, Lyle, Seve, even some of the younger guys like Olazábal who I got to watch when I was a kid. I liked it wasn't one guy, just different aspects of everybody's game, and that continues with even the players that I get to play against now. Par.

Q. Five years since Rookie of the Year, now European No. 1, how would you sum that up?

PAUL CASEY: Rapid. It's gone quickly. Yeah, it's gone very quickly but it's been a very enjoyable five years. I wouldn't trade it for anything. And long may it continue. Obviously there have been some tough times, but I think I'm a better player and also a better person because of it. So what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so to speak, like Thursday.

End of FastScripts.

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