[Photos: Stuart Franklin]
Paul Casey’s quest for a drought-breaking victory was emotional and featured wobbles, but the 49-year-old Englishman ultimately came up short in a four-hole playoff at the Omega European Masters overnight (Australian time).
Current LIV golfer and former Ryder Cup hero Casey, who has relocated from his US base to Switzerland, lost to South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence at the DP World Tour event in the Swiss Alps. The pair made three consecutive pars in overtime until Lawrence birdied the fourth extra hole to seal his sixth DP World Tour title, three of which have come at this event.
“This is probably the most emotional [I’ve been on a golf course],” Lawrence said. “I just fought so hard today. I gave it my everything. I feel for Paul; he played great golf and it looked like it was his all day. It’s just the best feeling in the world.”
Defending champion Lawrence equalled Seve Ballesteros as the only three-time winners of the European Masters and was even handed the trophy by model, actress and Omega watches ambassador Cindy Crawford at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, a stunning alpine course in the resort town of Crans-Montana.
“It’s amazing to play a golf tournament that’s the longest ever [54 years] hosted at the same course [on the DP World Tour]. I never met Seve – it’s unbelievable to share that with him,” Lawrence said.
The loss was also emotional for Casey. Not only was he chasing his first worldwide victory since the 2021 Dubai Desert Classic, he had pledged, after taking the 54-hole lead by three shots, that he would donate all his prizemoney to charities associated with a devastating fire that occurred in Crans Montana in January.
In the early hours of New Year’s Day this year, a fire broke out in a bar in Crans-Montana that killed 40 people and injured more than 115 others.
“I’ll make sure that all my prizemoney is going to the charity and the victims of the fire here in Crans-Montana; I’ve got a lot to play for tomorrow,” Casey said on Saturday, before claiming $US412,500 from the tournament purse of $US3.75 million.
Casey appeared to feel the weight of the moment. Early in the round, the former world No.3 produced one-handed finishes from poor tee shots at the second and third holes. He scrambled well for par on the former but carded a bogey on the latter. The seasoned pro of 330 starts on the DP World Tour settled the nerves with an approach to three feet at the fourth that resulted in a birdie.
The contenders chased Casey aggressively. Colourful Spaniard Angel Hidalgo made five birdies in a row to climb within one shot of Casey’s lead, while Patrick Reed was the biggest name within reach early in the round when the 2018 Masters champion made four birdies in his opening six holes. A costly double-bogey at the driveable par-4 seventh derailed Reed’s chances. Lawrence made eight birdies on a blemish-free scorecard to take the clubhouse lead until a resurgent Casey made a back-nine move.
Despite the stumbles throughout the final day, Casey played with a smile and a spring in his step. At the sixth, Casey had let the field back into the tournament when his approach at airmailed the green and bounced out-of-bounds, resulting in a double-bogey 6. Amazingly, Casey still did an agreed-to walk-and-talk on the TV broadcast minutes later after his tee shot at the seventh, in which he laughed about the scorecard disaster.
“I still had the honour [on No.7] on the tee with a 6, which shows how hard that hole can be,” Casey joked.
Of course, minutes after his interview, Casey pitched his second shot to a foot for birdie at the short par 4. He then made a bogey at the eighth and a birdie at the ninth to fall as far back as three shots off the lead. But four timely birdies in five holes from the 11th catapulted Casey back to a one-shot lead late in the round.
Adding to the drama, Casey’s wedge approach from the rough on 18 narrowly hopped over a creek. The ball remained dry, but a bogey sent Casey (68) to an eventual four-hole playoff with Lawrence.
The silver lining for Casey is he is now well placed to see out his regular career before senior golf. With LIV Golf’s future up in the air, Casey could now rejoin the DP World Tour as a member for 2027. Having last teed up on LIV in late August at its Indianapolis event, he would be subject to a one-year ban by the PGA Tour.
Casey turns 50 in late July next year and within a month would be eligible to play on the PGA Tour Champions.