Casey plays waiting game

Casey: Ryder Cup contender

I'd love to be on that team.

Paul Casey
Quotes of the week

AN EPIC SEASON
Over the next 12 months, Sky Sports will bring you the key events in the sporting calendar including:
- Barclays Premier League
- UEFA Champions League
- The Ryder Cup
- Rugby League World Cup
- Twenty20 World Cup
- Lions tour of South Africa
- The Ashes
For more go to www.skysports.com/epic

Also see

• Sky Sports schedule
• Team profiles
• History
• Valhalla interactive

Paul Casey is keeping the Ryder Cup at the back of his mind after a tied seventh finish at the Barclays left his hopes of a wild card in the balance.

Casey closed with a disappointing one-over 72 at the Ridegewood Country Club to finish two behind winner Vijay Singh, who took victory at the second hole of a sudden death play-off with Sergio Garcia and Kevin Sutherland.

Having started his final round one stroke off the lead, the 31-year-old felt he had missed a chance to land his first PGA Tour title and, in the process, lock down one of captain European captain Nick Faldo's two selections for September's Ryder Cup at Valhalla in Kentucky.

"These golf courses are so difficult, week in and week out," Casey said.

"It makes you a great golfer, and you've got great fields. So you just have to be very patient, and opportunities come along.

"I felt that was an opportunity today, and I'm annoyed at myself - I probably let it slip by a little bit."

D-day looms

Faldo finalises his team at the conclusion of the European Tour's Johnnie Walker Championship next Sunday.

Casey has opted to stay in America and play the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston, meaning he realistically has just two rounds left to impress Faldo before he selects his wild cards from an increasingly crowded field which has been further complicated by Darren Clarke's victory at the KLM Open in Holland.

"The Ryder Cup is at the back of my mind right now," he reasoned. "I was trying to go out and win a golf tournament today.

"You know, I'd love to be on that team. Darren has put the cats amongst the pigeons today by winning. That was a great win - went out there from the front, extended the lead. It was impressive stuff.

"We've got (Ian) Poulter as well, who is just outside. It's going to be tough."

The Barclays marked a continuation of the Englishman's recent strong form, which started with a tie for seventh at The Open, a tie for eighth at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, tied 15th at the USPGA and a tie for 26th at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina.

Tough

Casey felt he had been dealt some hard luck in the final round of the Barclays, although he did rue one wayward shot.

"I didn't really do anything wrong today. It's such a tough golf course, and I've said that all week - that you don't have to do much wrong to get into trouble," he said.

"And I played a nice, conservative round of golf for nine holes, which was sort of the plan and maybe look at the leaderboard and see what I had to do.

"I'm annoyed at myself because the one error I made was the third shot into the par five. I had a lob-wedge in my hand and I just quit on it, didn't hit it hard enough, tried to get cute with it.

"That was pretty much what killed it right there, because if I had knocked that one close and made birdie, I would have had a good chance of winning."

Casey nevertheless finished with a flourish. With Faldo watching events unfold from the CBS television commentary tower overlooking the 18th green, he signed off with a 22-foot putt for birdie.

Before he hit it, Faldo had said on-air: "If he makes this, he's in the team."

Once it found the hole, Faldo backtracked, saying: "Okay, I can't quite make my mind up yet."

Casey took that in good spirits.

"Oh, we've got that on tape," he joked. "Lawyers would have a field day with that one.

"I have spoken to Nick. I won't repeat what he said, but he hasn't told me what he's doing yet.

"He's keeping his cards close to his chest, and I've just got to continue to focus on my game and play good golf."