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Casey: Versatile

I want to be known as the guy who won this major, or this many majors, so that's what I'm really trying to push for.

Paul Casey
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For golf fans either side of the Atlantic, one event leaps out from the 2008 calendar - September's Ryder Cup at Valhalla.

But, as two-times winner Paul Casey told Golf Night, there comes a time when personal goals outweigh even the pride of being part of a successful European team.

The Englishman holds the famous victories at Oakland Hills and the K Club among his career highlights, and he will be as committed as anybody if he makes Nick Faldo's line-up in the autumn.

But the 30-year-old is a young man with ambition to write his name in the golf history books and, he told Richard Boxall, the best way to achieve that is by winning a major tournament.

"The Ryder Cup always sticks out in my mind because it's very different," Casey said. "It's a team thing and provides some of the greatest memories.

"Obviously I've been very lucky to be part of two great times, with great guys and great success, but majors are the things I really want on my CV.

"That's what I want when I finally hang up the clubs. I want to be known as the guy who won this major, or this many majors, so that's what I'm really trying to push for."

Casey's increasing versatility on the course was reflected in the fact he made the cut in all four of last year's majors, so which one is his main target for 2008?

He said: "The Masters is the one, for me, which sets up very very well for my game and for the way which I control the golf ball.

"I have a high ball flight with my irons, and I'm able to stop the ball on those greens. I am a streaky putter, but I'm getting less of a streaky putter and I think I'm a very good putter at times. That's the way to get round Augusta National.

"Having said that, the US Open was always the one which I thought would be the most challenging for me - with the deep rough, the narrow fairways and the premium on accuracy - and last year I shot 66 at Oakmont.

"To me that's great because it shows I'm working on the right stuff and I'm able to play on almost any golf course. I never thought I would be able to shoot the low round - by two strokes - at the US Open."

And what about our own Open at Royal Birkdale in July? "The Open is the one I really want to win. That's the one - as an Englishman - which would be the ultimate, but it's the one which will provide the stiffest challenge.

"I've really got to control my ball flight. I've got to bring the ball down, and I've got to be a lot more creative and have a lot more belief in myself as to what shots I'm picking.

"It's the one I want to win but it may be the most difficult thing for me - to lift the Claret Jug."