Paul Casey back in game with new perspective

Having been out and in and out and in and out and in again, Paul Casey understands better than most the value of being a top-50 golfer.

“Really simple – it’s great when you’re in and it sucks when you’re outside,” Casey said.

That CliffNotes synopsis doesn’t cover the effort it takes to keep re-establishing yourself as one of the best golfers on the planet. It’s one thing to get into the coveted fraternity once when life is fresh and success comes easier, but it’s another thing altogether to make it back again and again as the years and the scar tissue build up.

One look around at Casey’s former European Ryder Cup peers can illustrate the struggle. Former world No. 1s Lee Westwood and Luke Donald, as well as stalwarts Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Padraig Harrington, have all yet to make it back into the top 50 after slipping outside the magic threshold.

Casey is a relatively rare exception. After injuries and divorce and other distractions derailed his form, the 38-year-old Englishman with an American green card fought his way back among the top 25 in the rankings with eight top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour last season.

“Sometimes there’s not a lot you can do dropping out of it; it just happens,” Casey said. “That’s just golf. As you know, any distraction is difficult. If you’ve got multiple distractions it’s damn near impossible at this level.

“Getting back into it, it’s awful. It seems like you’ll never get there. You never thought about it first time ’round. It was exciting and you were young and it was just this climb up the world rankings. When you’ve tasted it and you’ve got to try to get back there it just seems more difficult. The way I’ve always done it is going back to the simple stuff, the basics and stuff that got you there in the first place. In sort of a weird way it’s been an enjoyable process and extremely satisfying to get back in there.”

Casey’s career ebbs and flows have been reflected in his Masters experience. He tied for sixth in his Augusta debut in 2004, but a year later fell to 72nd in the world and didn’t qualify for the 2006 Masters. He came back in 2007 for the first of six consecutive Augusta starts and tied for 10th.

After reaching as high as No. 3 in the world rankings in 2009, various injuries and marital discord took a toll. A separated shoulder suffered while snowboarding led to a disastrous 2012, in which he missed the cut or withdrew in 14 of 17 starts in one stretch and had only one top-50 finish through September. By the summer of 2013, he’d plummeted to 169th in the world before winning the Irish Open to stem the bleeding.

It wasn’t until tying for second and third in consecutive weeks at Riviera and PGA National last year that he moved back into the top 50 and qualified for his first Masters since 2012. He tied for sixth at Augusta National last year at 9-under par.

“When I first got back there I thought I’m going to enjoy every aspect of this,” he said. “It’s amazing how quickly that changes from Monday to Thursday to Sunday when you think, ‘I’m here to win.’”

Of all the majors, Casey feels most confident at Augusta National.

“Yes, I like my chances there – probably the best of any of the majors,” he said. “I know it so well and I do feel comfortable back there. In ’04 the first time I played it I turned up a month or so early and had Carl’s brother (Bud Jackson) caddie for me and had a great time and instantly learned a lot. I spent a full day there.

“I could turn up there tomorrow and know where to hit it. I could tell you where to hit it right now. I could tell you every break on that green. That’s comforting and an ease that I have standing on that first tee. It doesn’t matter how I play, I know I can get it around that golf course even if the ball flight’s not right.”

Casey’s life is in a better place now, with his new wife, Pollyanna, and 18-month-old son, Lex. He’s given up his European Tour card and any chance of being on the Ryder Cup team to focus on the PGA Tour and taking care of his family.

“That’s the only thing that’s frustrating is I’d love to be a part of (the Ryder Cup) and love to play for Darren Clarke,” he said. “I miss that and I hope I’ll play another one. But family comes first.”

In the meantime, just being back in the top 50 and in events like the Masters is satisfying enough.

“Last year I was frustrated I didn’t win but sit back at the end of the year with a glass or three of wine and thought, ‘Yeah, I’m proud of myself because that was pretty damn good,’” he said of his comeback. “There’s a few guys who have dropped out and never got back in.”