Paul Casey Takes His Game To The PGA Tour For 2015

May 30, 2014; Dublin, OH, USA; Paul Casey tees off on the 2nd hole during the second round of The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

After 13 wins on the European Tour, and four appearances in the Ryder Cup, representing Team Europe, 37 year-old Paul Casey has withdrew from The European Tour, and will play full-time on the PGA Tour. Casey has one PGA Tour win, coming at the 2009 Shell Houston Open.

A graduate at Arizona State University, and living in Arizona, it only made sense to move his tour affiliation to the US. As a new father, Casey cited more time at home as the driving reason to make the move at this time.

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Ranked 70th in the Official World Golf Rankings doesn’t afford the former Surrey, England resident the luxury of an affiliation with both tours at this time, so he needed to make this decision, this late in his career.

"For as long as I have been a professional I have been a member of the European Tour, so it was a very tough decision,’ he said. ‘But I live in Arizona and playing in America full-time will enable me to spend more time at home with Pollyanna (his wife) and Lex (his son). That’s really become the focus for me."

In browsing the news sites in the UK, the biggest concern fans have is Casey’s ability to compete for a Ryder Cup spot in 2016. Even if he were to return to the European Tour next year, he would be four months behind in qualification for that team.

Ryder Cup considerations start in September of this year, and he would have little chances of making the team on points.

Patrick Reed has committed to a full Race To Dubai schedule on the European Tour, but ranked in the top 50, he is qualified for all the majors, and WGC events. He doesn’t have the same concerns as Casey with his number 70 ranking. Rickie Fowler is expected to follow Reed to the European Tour as well.

Paul Casey shot an opening round eight under par 62 on Thursday at the Waialae Golf Course to share the overnight lead with Webb Simpson at the Sony Open.

This is his first outing of the year. He was quoted that it was difficult to miss the Adu Dhabi HSBC Championship this year, a tournament he has won twice.

"Casey acknowledged it was difficult to miss the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, where he has won twice in the past. ‘I stewed over that one for a long time and believe me it wasn’t a decision that I took lightly,’ he said."

He had back-to-back victories in the United Arab Emirates at the start of the 2007, and 2008 seasons. He beat Peter Hanson and Miguel Angel Jimenez in 2007, and three-time Abu Dhabi champ, Martin Kaymer along with Louis Oosthuizen in 2008.

After winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in 2009 for his 10th European Tour win, Casey injured his ribs at the 2009 Open Championship. It limited his playing time, and took some time to get his game back on track.

Paul Casey’s last win came at the 2014 KLM Open where he beat fellow Brit, Simon Dyson by one stroke. He has finished in the top ten at three of the four majors, scoring a T12 at the 2010 PGA Championship. His best was a T2 at the 2010 Open Championship.

Source: The Daily Mail On-Line

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