Paul Casey is off to a fast start at LIV Golf’s Individual Championship at Bolingbrook Golf Club in Chicago.
The Englishman carded a four-under 66 and sits four shots back of Brooks Koepka, who holds the clubhouse lead on eight under.
Koepka felt the greens were challenging on day one. Casey, however, couldn’t believe the rough during Friday’s play, which he felt was worse than what the players faced at JCB.
Paul Casey shocked by ‘gnarly’ rough at LIV Golf Chicago
Patrick Reed slammed the rough at JCB Golf and Country Club before LIV Golf UK. Casey, however, believes Bolingbrook is the thickest he’s seen all season.
“No, this is the thickest of the season that I’ve played in,” Casey said during his post-round press conference. “This is gnarly. I don’t know what grass type it is, but it’s brutal. There are some places with the crosswinds and the angles — the pitch of the fairways, you almost can’t avoid it in certain places if you don’t hit the perfect tee shot.”
The Englishman added: “And the way it lays down, just certain areas where it hasn’t been trodden on is pretty easy, and then if it gets trodden on, the way that grass lays down, the direction it lays down, it’s brutal. Yeah, we had a couple today. I don’t know. Yeah, it’s gnarly. What can I tell you? It’s not easy.”
Paul Casey’s 2024 LIV Golf record
Casey currently sits 11th in the individual standings and has been an instrumental part of the Crushers’ table-topping form.
Bryson DeChambeau’s men currently lead the overall standings and are also in front after the first round of LIV Golf Chicago. Ahead of next week’s Team Championship in Dallas, the Crushers quartet are in an excellent position to land consecutive titles.
On a personal note, Casey’s season highlight came during the Hong Kong event, where he finished second.
The British-born star was also impressed in Las Vegas and the United Kingdom, where he finished fifth on both occasions.
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