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DEAN & DELUCA INVITATIONAL

May 27, 2017

Paul Casey

Fort Worth, Texas

Q. Paul, we know tee-to-green you're fabulous, but this week you've really putted the dots off it. You were first in strokes gained putting coming into today, you've maintained yourself inside the Top 5, yet this season you are 140th. How have you turned it all around?
PAUL CASEY: There is only one way when you're 140th or more in the most of the putting categories. But to jump up that much and be in the Top 5 this week is -- in fact, I would say leading strokes gained in most of the or some of the putting stats after the first two days.

I'm not going to give away my secrets, am I?

Q. I know with Costas he said you guys have been working super hard, but Johnny McClaren also just told me, your caddie, that you've been adopting a few of Luke Donald's putting drills and games. Some of the English tricks coming out of you?
PAUL CASEY: Yeah. Yeah, I will be the first to admit. He tries to steal stuff from everybody if he can. Like Bubba was trying to steal stuff from everybody recently, wasn't he? Putting lessons from Spieth.

Why not? Luke's been consistently one of the best putters and short game players in the world for such a long time. Everybody knows Peter Costas is my coach. Peter also knows I spend a lot of time out here by myself, and sometimes I get into trouble thinking of things myself. We go down the garden path working on something.

Right now just working on just good old fashioned basics. Been working on the grip, ball position, rolling the ball as good as we can. Some really just very basic putting drills. Maybe we've stolen of few of Luke Donald's, but I'm not going to tell you.

Q. From what I saw, you're actually rolling the ball beautifully. You made a lot of critical momentum maintaining putts and then some really nice birdie putts as well. The other thing John McClaren said to me, which I found fascinating, it's about keeping a quiet mind out there on the course, saving energy. Tell us a little bit more about that.
PAUL CASEY: Yeah, I'm still learning because I'm probably one of the -- I'm pretty good, but maybe one of the least quiet-minded people on the planet.

Yeah, just quieting the chatter down sometimes. Literally quieting the chatter down between shots. Sometimes it can be a bit, you know, What's the lie going to be like? I hope it's going to be okay. How about we birdie this one? What's the point?

Q. Unnecessary worry.
PAUL CASEY: 100%. You talk about -- you touched on intensity and making putts as well. We talked about this week sometimes they're just crucial putts that you have to make. I've played enough big tournaments around the world, Ryder Cups and stuff like that, and sometime you just got to get up there and get it done.

We talked about that as well the last couple of weeks. We've had a couple of those this week. Sometimes that isn't even the birdie putt; sometimes that's the par-saving putt or the bogey-saving putt. We've had some of those moments where we've got it done this week. I like the way things are going.

Q. You put yourself in position to get that second PGA TOUR win. I know how important that is for you tomorrow. All the best.
PAUL CASEY: Thank you very much.

Q. (No microphone.)
PAUL CASEY: Nice. I did look at it, the leaderboard. I say look at it. I thought it would be really nice to play the final group, so I think that'll get me in the final group depending on what these last final couple of groups do.

That would be fun. And I had missed a lot of good looks for birdie and opportunities during the day, so it was nice to finally roll one in. Although I'm not complaining. For whatever reason I thought it played a lot tougher today than the first two days, even though it was very tough the first two days.

So happy I shot under par.

Q. How is the battle with the heat out there?
PAUL CASEY: It's not good. I'm a dry heat kind of guy. (Laughter.) God forbid what this place is like in the summertime. Texas is just so extreme.

All credit to -- for me, it's okay for us. We've got plenty of water. All credit on the people coming out and watching. I don't know how they do it. I don't know how they drink and watch golf in this kind of heat, but I'm glad they do.

Q. (No microphone.)
PAUL CASEY: Did he?

Q. Yeah. Just the humidity out here?
PAUL CASEY: Quite an advantage you have. Yeah, I don't blame him. It's difficult. It's very, very difficult. I have always enjoyed playing in the heat. I play well. Heats the body nice and supple. Yeah, I'm pretty lucky. I don't tend to lose traction with the grip so much.

Shows if a guy is good at playing in the heat. He was a Sun Devil as well. If he's struggling with it then -- and he's young, you know, it's difficult.

Q. We talked during the week about how consistent you've been this year. (Indiscernible) How do you deal with that? Next step, right?
PAUL CASEY: Yes. Just keep doing what I've been doing. I think the difference is now -- you know, if you look at the putting stats, the putting stats this week have been really good. That's the difference.

Maybe even get into a position the last even couple of years where I've had a couple of looks on Sunday and I haven't been firing on all cylinders. If I can string together the ball striking that I've been doing and hole putts, then my chances are better than they were before.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I would like this to be kind of like a new norm, if possible.

Q. A lot of pressure.
PAUL CASEY: It's pressure every week. Still a stacked leaderboard. A lot of very talented, brilliant guys near the top of it. I feel a pretty good calmness. Yeah, I'd desperately love to win and I will try my best tomorrow.

Yeah, certainly feel like I'm one of the favorites. I don't know, 17 years of doing this I'm certainly not soft, but there is more calm than there used to be.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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