DEAN & DELUCA Invitational
Friday, May 26, 2017
Paul Casey
Quick Quotes
Q. (In progress. )
PAUL CASEY: Thank you, yeah, really clean. Maybe that area around 17; apart from that 35 really good holes, 35 and a half really good holes. Really happy. The key is the putting. I think I was stroke and a half gain putting yesterday; felt like maybe even more today.
I was trying to channel my inner Brandt Snedeker playing with him, because he makes everything. That's really the difference. The ball striking has been pretty good all year. That hasn't changed. Just some putting.
Q. 178 feet of putts for two days. Pretty good.
PAUL CASEY: Usually what I have for a week. I mean, that's the difference. When I play good and when I have won tournaments in the past, that's been the thing that's gone well.
So I'm happy. I have been working hard on it. Let's hope it continues for the rest of the week.
Q. I've walked with you a lot over the last year and a half, and you've been in contention every tournament I've ever been with you. How would you describe this last 16 months of your golf game?
PAUL CASEY: That's because they put you on the last group, so you only ever see me when I'm in the last group. (Laughter.)
It's been really good. I mean, talked about happy on the golf course. Been working with Johnny McLaren for year and a half now. You see he has his Cav socks on today, his LeBron socks? He just jumps on the bandwagon, doesn't he?
It's been good stuff. I feel like I'm getting back to playing -- I never like to look at the past, but I feel like I'm playing the stuff I played back in seasons like '06, 2010, stuff like that. '09.
Really happy with it.
Q. Finally, your beautiful wife. She's walked 36 holes pregnant. She deserves a little credit for doing that.
PAUL CASEY: She's mad for doing that. She loves watching golf. Yeah, thank you for trying to offer her a ride in the golf cart round there. I know she doesn't take it, but thank you for offering. She just loves watching golf and being able to see what I do and watch the other players playing.
I don't have her out that often obvious. The Masters was the last time. Sh won't be coming out that frequently as the season progresses. It's fun to have her here in Fort Worth.
Q. Talk to us about your strategy here. We followed you all day. My count was at just two drivers on the day.
PAUL CASEY: Is that what it was? They were both bad, weren't they?
Q. (Indiscernible.)
PAUL CASEY: I didn't actually think about it. It's one of the reasons why I love this golf course, because you don't have to -- you can smash it round here, but you don't have to. A lot of thinking goes on and positioning into the greens.
It's just such a wonderful classic golf course, which is why myself and a lot of players love playing it. I'm usually great with the driver. The change I did make, and probably saw me hit it a few times today, was I out a 3-iron in the bag.
I've been hitting a 5-wood for a long, long time now, mainly for second shots into par-5s, but I've always loved hitting long irons off the tees.
It's not the longest 3-iron I've ever hit, but I've got great control with it. It put me in wonderful position numerous times today, or really didn't get me into trouble, because there is a lot of trouble round there.
Putting has been the key really for the last two days. That's been the missing link. The last 36 holes have been wonderful with the putter.
Q. (Regarding wins in the States.)
PAUL CASEY: Yeah, it's probably a little out of balance. There's no excuse for it. I love the fact I played through I say the Tiger era when he won every single week, which was wonderful to see and be a part of; frustrating from trying to get a win's perspective.
There were also guys like Phil and Ernie and Sergio and Retief, other great players, who he stole wins from them as well.
When I was playing a schedule on both tours and only playing majors and World Golf Events, it was slim pickings. Or Bay Hill. He won every single year I turned up.
I would love to try and add to that category if I can. I still feel like I've got a lot of great golf left in me. Maybe it's only a few years, but doesn't seem to get any easier with the Dustin Johnsons and the Rorys of the world. Lucky neither of those guys are here this week.
Q. You put yourself in position through 36 holes. Talk to us about what the mindset is over the next couple days. Such a grind on this golf course.
PAUL CASEY: It is. Keep the nose clean; do what I've been doing; give myself as many opportunities as I can; take in that great atmosphere. The Fort Worth crowds are always some of the best on tour.
It's been tricky with the wind. We'll see. I've handle it so far, so I would actually like it to stay tricky if it can. And I handle the heat well. So I am saying probably the more difficult it is the better it is for me.
You can't predict and I'm not going to get ahead of myself. Just enjoy today's round, have a nice lunch, and look forward to tomorrow.
Q. You were just talking about this. I think you missed one cut this season. When you look at it from a consistency standpoint, what would you compare this to?
PAUL CASEY: Yeah, missed Hawaii. That was still going through some equipment changes in Hawaii. I moved quite a distance on from what I was trying to play with in Hawaii in terms of setup.
Just felt like I tested an awful lot through the winter and just didn't quite get it right clearly when I tee'd it up in Hawaii.
The keys to the consistency, you know, I'll give Johnny some of the credit, or a lot of the credit. We've got a good game plan, he and I. I think we play our way around a golf course from a strategy point of view very nicely and neatly.
We're always questioning whether we're being aggressive enough or too -- you know, overaggressive. We're striking a nice balance I think right now. Only hit two drivers today, but the fact I'm 5-under I wouldn't say I'm being conservative, because it's paying off.
Then ultimately wins are what matters. As long as I got a chance to win on Sunday, that's what I'm looking for.
Q. What are you on the equipment change? Settled in?
PAUL CASEY: Yeah, really good. Yeah, really good. I actually wanted to stay -- I only wanted to change a couple things originally. It was trying to get a little bit more length off the tee. Pretty early I went to a TaylorMade driver, a Titleist golf ball. I wanted to try and keep everything else Nike.
It was just kind of a knock-on effect. Changing one thing kind of effected everything else - really the golf ball.
So I feel really happy with what I've got right now. It was a process that I wasn't -- it was sort of a can of worms. Sort of end up going down a rabbit hole deeper and deeper. Luckily didn't take me long, only a month or so, to get out of it.
Q. Paul, you came here in 2009 and had a really good finish. Did you figure this was a course that probably played to your strengths?
PAUL CASEY: What did I finish in '09, Top 5? Yeah, I've always liked it. It's been one where I think maybe the amount of different shots you get to hit, different clubs you get to hit off the tee, different shots you can hit into the green, you have got to move the golf ball both ways. Just you've really got to have it all.
As players get longer and longer I have sort of stayed the same. You don't have to be the longest hitter in the world to play well round. Maybe more of a thinking man's golf course. I love the difficulty, and the fact you feel like you should be making an awful lot the birdies.
We talked about it he last couple of holes. You feel like you should be double digits even in the wind, and just doesn't play that easy. If you like a golf course you always play it well. I've looked forward to coming back here.
Q. Have you changed your mindset on what golf courses you like as you've aged? You said you're not in the Dustin Johnson category. Have they changed compared to maybe what you liked ten years ago?
PAUL CASEY: Some of them may have because of maybe new tee positions or something like that, or bunkers or changes that have been made to the golf course.
There is an awful a lot of golf courses I like that I don't necessarily enjoy playing in a tournament setup. This is one of those that ticks both boxes. I like it is as golf course, I like it as a tournament setup. Be a wonderful place to be a member. Members are great. Club is great.
Yeah, there are a few venues that I'm glad I'm not a member at that we go to. Too difficult for me.
Yeah, they probably have changed. Some may change for the better as well. Just looking at TV this morning, and Wentworth looks like it's better than it's ever been.
Maybe I need to get back there.
Q. What do you think of Brandt Snedeker putting style, and why you try and copy?
PAUL CASEY: Well, I don't try and copy Sneds' still per se. I would like to just emulate how many putts he holes. He just looks like he's never thinking about technique. He's thinking about trying to make it. He's disappointed if he doesn't make a putt, doesn't matter how long it is.
It's just so impressive. Really is. I don't know how it describe it. He's used that putter 11 years and doesn't put a putter cover on it. There is something to be said about guys that use putters a long, long time. Tiger used his putter for a long, long time. Jordan. You look at obviously the veteran players, guys now on the Champion's Tour.
They never used to switch equipment much. There is something to be said about that. I think just trying to look at little things like that, yeah, okay, why does he not change? He's obviously very good. Maybe I shouldn't change as frequently as I do.
It's just trying to take from the best in the game, and Sneds is one of the best in the game when it comes to putting.
Q. What is the longest you've ever had a putter?
PAUL CASEY: The longest I've ever had a putter. Actually, yeah, yeah, probably '06 season. There was a putter Nike put out back then, and I think it stayed in about a year and a half.
Let's try and -- that would be a good one to try and break. I'm in for about three months right now.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Rev #1 by #179 at 2017-05-26 19:11:00 GMT
