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WGC BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL

August 3, 2008

Paul Casey

AKRON, OHIO

Q. Any round around Firestone without a bogey is good. How does it feel when you have five birdies, too?
PAUL CASEY: You're not kidding about the lack of bogeys today, that was good. The goal was to try and get Top 10. Hopefully I can hang on and remain in the top 10. I think I'm about 7th right now.
I'm just very, very happy with that. The whole week actually got better as it went on. I started with a triple on the first day on the first hole, which is about as bad as you can start, and it's gotten better since then.
A new set of irons in the bag, which has taken me a round or two to get used to, new Victory Red blade irons by Nike. They're perfect. I've figured them out now, so I'm happy with that.

Q. You seemed to have been swinging very well recently, but has the putter been letting you down because you've not been at your best until maybe the Open and now?
PAUL CASEY: I can give you another putter plug if you want because I've got a new one of those in the bag (laughing). It is a new putter. It was better. I've been working hard on it. It's just things have got to turn around because the ball-striking has been very, very good, I won't lie, and definitely the weakest part of the game is when I get onto the greens. You know, I think today was a glimpse of the numbers I can shoot if I continue to hit the ball well and obviously hole a few putts. It would be nice if the two stick together.

Q. Is this the start of a Paul Casey Ryder Cup run?
PAUL CASEY: Well, I need to, don't I? I'm well out of the points. There are many good players. I may be wrong, but I'd say someone like Sergio, Poulter, I don't know where Monty is, Luke, for example, they're all outside of qualification right now, and I'm below those guys, and I don't really want to rely on a pick. You know, this week is a good start, but I really need to throw in a couple of Top 5s or a win or something like that to get myself on that team.

Q. 5-under par today. Tell us about your round.
PAUL CASEY: You know, I don't know where that one came from, to be honest. The week started out pretty rough on me. I made a triple bogey on the first hole this week and sort of clung on to things. As the week has gone on I've gotten better and better. That was good. Any round around Firestone without a blemish on the card is great, and to be 5-under, I'm ecstatic with that.

Q. Indeed the lack of blemish referring to the fact that there were no bogeys on your card today at all. I always wonder when you have a round like that in the final round, 5-under, is it indicative of a brilliant round such as it was, or was this course out there for the taking?
PAUL CASEY: I'd like to think the former, but I think it's a little bit of the latter. I think the course is set up so well this week. I mean, this is -- I think it's fair enough to say this is probably the best set-up golf course I've played all year. It's tough, it's fair, it's long, great greens. We've got rough we can hit shots out of this week. But it's the length of rough that makes guys question sometimes what they're trying to pull off. You can hit it on the green if you play a career golf shot, and you can also make some mistakes, as well. I think they should be applauded for the way it's been set up this week.
I don't think the pin positions were easier today. I think guys are maybe used to this wind now because it's the wind direction we had yesterday, and plus it's Sunday, you've got to go for it.

Q. Without the simple purpose of adding hyperbole, this will then lend for some birdie opportunities as the leaders are coming into those final holes?
PAUL CASEY: Without a doubt. This is a long golf course, but for some reason it plays a lot shorter than its number. You saw the fireworks going on, Phil reaching 16 yesterday. That's not going to happen today because the tees are back. But with that pin position there's no reason why you can't go out there and birdie holes like 16, 17 is very accessible, and I love that pin position on 18. I mean, it's obviously the classic pin position we've seen, great shots like Tiger's shot in the dark over the tree. They're very accessible if you're in the correct portion of the fairway.
Yeah, I would expect to see some fireworks coming down the stretch.

Q. Can you just elaborate a little bit on your round and the significance of next week for me?
PAUL CASEY: Well, next week is a major, so that's quite significant.

Q. Just looking ahead to next week, I mean, that's a lovely way to tee yourself up for that, isn't it?
PAUL CASEY: Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I love that golf course. I think it's a great golf course. They have made some changes. Kostis went over there and played it and gave me a rundown. We'll see when I get there. I'm looking forward to it.
The game is in good shape, and the setup, I think I've got it sort of clicking a little bit better now, the long game and the short game, new irons in the bag. Victory Red Irons they're called by Nike, and then a new putter, a low prototype number. I don't know what it's called at all. It's actually got some grooves in it, and I'm rolling it much, much better than I've ever rolled it before. I'm happy with it.

Q. You've been threatening something like that for a while, haven't you?
PAUL CASEY: Yes. I've struck it so well for quite a long time now, and the putting has been letting me down. And what I don't want to happen is the putting to come around and the ball-striking to go. But today was a demonstration of the two working quite nicely together.

Q. Did you debut the irons and the putter this week?
PAUL CASEY: This week, yeah.

Q. You touched upon looking ahead to next week and Ryder Cup, as well, the importance of next week. It's an important run for you.
PAUL CASEY: It is an important run, but I've got to take it one round at a time, one shot at a time. The ultimate goal is to try and win next week. I mean, the majors are still the ultimate thing, but I'd love to be part of that Ryder Cup team. You know, right now those are probably the greatest memories I've ever had while being on a golf course, and I'd like to be part of another team, and I've got some playing to do for that team before we get there.

Q. Do you have an outstanding memory of Oakland Hills in 2004?
PAUL CASEY: I mean, there's nothing like the first. Langer made the rookies -- Luke was the only rookie that played the first day. He made the other rookies go down to the first tee and watch the first tee shot, and that was actually amazing. It's a different reception from a major, final round, first tee atmosphere. There's just a lot more electricity in the air. So that's engrained in my memory. Probably my first tee shot where I was absolutely bricking myself (laughter). I managed to get it in the fairway. Not the purest of strikes I've ever made, but yeah, it's possibly the most nervous I've ever been. It's weird that you crave after something like that, but why not?

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