The Golf Watch

Peter Kostis should not be reporting in the same group as Paul Casey

Sports journalists, just like any other journalists, have to live up to the highest standards.  They have to be informative and honest with their reporting.  CBS' decision to let on-course reporter Peter Kostis provide commentary in the Ian Poulter-Paul Casey match was a mistake.

Casey's longtime instructor is Kostis, and regardless of his professionalism, he has rooting interests. 

If Novak Djokovic plays in the US Open final, would you want his coach in the booth providing commentary?  If Michael Phelps is racing, would you want coach Bob Bowman in the booth as the race unfolds?

Because of the conflict of interest during the telecast, I was suspicious of the commentary I was getting. 

It is unlikely Kostis is going to be in the situation again where he is placed in the same group as his student.  But CBS needs to be more careful in placing commentators for broadcasts.

"I haven't got four weeks"

Paul Casey withdrew from the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational after six holes earlier today, citing a pulled muscle under his ribcage.

The injury couldn't come at a worse time.  According to The Independent, the former Sun Devil is hoping to play seven events in the next nine weeks, including next week's PGA Championship.  Casey said:

The guys in the physio truck have just told me it will take up to four weeks to be healed fully. I haven't got four weeks.

As other writers have pointed out, it's still hard to believe Casey is ranked third in the world. 

Lincicome's eagle locks up Kraft Nabisco, Casey wins first PGA Tour event,

I can honestly say that I have never seen so many holed shots in a tournament.  All day, it seemed that the players were hitting one miraculous shot after another.  It was fitting that the Kraft Nabisco was capped off with an eagle from the eventual winner, Brittany Lincicome. 

Add another Sun Devil to the list of golfers who have won this year on Tour.  Paul Casey broke through and won his first PGA Tour event at the Shell Houston Open. 

Faldo chooses Poulter, Casey, not Clarke

After many golf writers declared Darren Clarke a lock for this year's Ryder Cup, captain Nick Faldo caught many off guard by selecting both Ian Poulter and Paul Casey as captain's picks.  Both Englishmen missed the cut this week at the Deutsche Bank Championship and haven't won a tournament this year.  Clarke, on the other hand, has been on a tear, winning twice.  More as it comes later tonight...

Casey responds to Vijay comments

Paul Casey fired back at Vijay Singh after some comments the Fijian made prior to the U.S. Open about British golfers.  I pulled this Vijay quote from Jim Rome is Burning on ESPN:

Lots of them start out with the right intentions and the opportunities are there for them to become great.  But once they are on tour, though, they find themselves having a fine time and wondering, ‘why should I bother to work hard?’ Their way of life is so comfortable that it doesn’t matter if they have a bad tournament. The disappointment is not as big anymore.  There is another event the following week and they just move on.

We haven't heard Vijay say something this controversial since Annika in '03.  Well, Casey fired back, saying:

I am angry, he has no clue what I do, so how can he comment?...He does not know us and he has no evidence to back up what he says. We are all very frustrated that we have not won majors and that our results have not been as good as we would have liked. But it is not down to lack of effort and perhaps when we do make a breakthrough then it will open the door to a lot more wins.

I don't know what spurred these comments from Vijay, but players like Casey, Justin Rose, and Brian Davis are very hard workers.  Even Nick Dougherty has cleaned up his act. 

I guess there's still no shortage of drama without Tiger around.

Casey will rejoin PGA Tour in '08

According to the Associated Press, Paul Casey will rejoin the PGA Tour in 2008.  Casey has not been a member of the PGA Tour since 2005, but made the decision to improve his play against the best in the world. "I want to play against Tiger (Woods), (Jim) Furyk and (Phil) Mickelson week in and week out," said Casey, who is currently ranked 21st in the world. "I've got to test myself against those guys all the time. I want to win a major, at least one. And I think in order to raise my game, I've got to be here all the time."  Since Casey is eligible for the four major championships and three WGC events, he will only have to play in four European Tour events to keep his European Tour card.  He has already played in the HSBC Champions in China and plans to play twice in the Middle East before playing on the PGA Tour.   

Casey starts foundation

Paul Casey is currently 20th in the world golf ranking and is recognized as one of the best golfers on both the PGA and European Tours.  And now, Casey has started his own foundation, the Paul Casey Foundation, with the hope of helping growing teenagers become more physically active through different activities such as golf, tennis, and cricket.  "It is my aim to give those who might not normally have the opportunity a chance to enjoy instruction in a range of sports," writes Casey on his website.  Casey said in an interview on The Golf Channel, "I feel now I can sort of use my name to the right advantage.  I can use it for the kids advantage."  Casey will be defending his title this week at the Johnnie Walker Championship in Scotland. 

Casey only player to break par Friday morning

Paul Casey fired a 4-under 66 Friday morning at Oakmont and is the only player out of the first half of the field to tee off under-par. Casey birdied five holes and only missed one fairway the entire day.  His one bogey came on the par-4 18th hole.  In an interview with Tom Rinaldi on ESPN, Casey said, "That was by far one of the best rounds I’ve played in my professional career…I got up and down when I needed to and I made a lot of putts out there…To shoot something under par is a dream and to shoot a 66 is fantastic.”  Casey is ranked 16th in the world golf ranking, and finished T-10 at the Masters earlier this year.