Monday 12 March 2018 00:20, UK
Paul Casey has set his sights on challenging for Masters victory after claiming a first PGA Tour win for nearly nine years at the Valspar Championship.
The Englishman overturned a five-stroke deficit during the final round on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort, posting a six-under 65 to claim a one-shot win over Patrick Reed and Tiger Woods.
Report and highlights from the final round of the Valspar Championship.
Casey is a 13-time winner on the European Tour, most recently in 2014, but had not experienced victory on American soil since the Houston Open in 2009.
The 40-year-old will now only play the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play before the opening major of the year at Augusta, with Casey relishing the chance to return to an event where he has finished in the top six over the last three years.
"I'm excited, and not only for my game but the fact that Tiger's playing great," Casey told Sky Sports. "It's cool.
"I'm a fan of golf and to pip him is very special. He'll be on top form when we get there [Augusta National] and I'm looking forward to it. I think I've got a good chance."
Casey was level-par after three holes on Sunday but pulled alongside Justin Rose after following three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the fourth with back-to-back gains from the 11th.
A long-range birdie from off the 13th green gave Casey the outright advantage on 10 under, with the world No 17 safely negotiating the closing stretch to set a clubhouse target that was not matched.
"This is so much better than probably a lot of them [wins] put together," Casey added. "Worked so hard for it - it's tough to put it into words.
"There has been a lot [of pressure] and it's got to the point where it's gone the other way, where actually I'm playing very free golf, very relaxed and at peace with whatever happens on the golf course.
"I can say that because of my life away from the golf course, my wife and kids. To then get both is the icing on the cake."
