Casey storms to three‑shot lead, vows charity

Paul Casey birdied his final hole to open a three-shot lead at the Omega European Masters on Saturday, then broke down in tears as he vowed to donate all his prize money to victims of the Crans-Montana bar fire.

A personal connection

The fire killed 41 people and injured 115 others in the early hours of New Year’s Day in the same area where the tournament is being played at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club. Casey, who now lives in Switzerland, became emotional when asked what a victory on Sunday would mean to him.

“I love this place. I really do, so it was a wonderful day,” he said. “This is now home. I now live in Switzerland, so it would mean an awful lot. It feels like a home week for me. And tomorrow, whatever happens, and I hope I win, and I’ll be playing really hard, but I’ll make sure that all my prize money is going to the charity and the victims of the fire here in Crans-Montana.”

Eight birdies and a charge up the leaderboard

Casey fired an eight-under-par 63 in the third round, following rounds of 64 and 67. He made six birdies on the front nine before a bogey on the 14th. Birdies at the 15th and 18th extended his overnight advantage to three shots heading into Sunday’s final round.

The 63 puts him at 20-under-par overall. He leads Austria’s Maximilian Steinlechner, South Africa’s Erik van Rooeyn, and the Spanish pair of Nacho Elvira and Eugenio Chacarra, who all sit at 17-under-par.

Fitness concerns and a long drought

Casey, 49, admitted he feared his season was over when a wrist injury forced him to withdraw from a LIV Golf event in Korea earlier this year. He said he has been managing various physical issues but feels fresh because of his limited schedule.

“There was a wrist problem earlier in the year, but I bounced back from that and actually played some really good golf when we went to New York a few weeks after,” Casey said. “I thought that could have been the season. There’s always stuff. I think everybody out here’s got stuff going on. But I honestly feel really good and I feel somewhat fresh, probably because I haven’t played that much golf as I missed a bit.”

Casey has not won on the DP World Tour for five-and-a-half years after joining LIV Golf in 2022. He was a former world No. 3.

Chasing pack

Spain’s Angel Ayora is four shots back at 16-under-par. England’s Danny Willett, Matt Wallace, and Harry Hall are among 14 players on 10-under-par, along with Patrick Reed, who left LIV Golf earlier this year. Friday’s leader Thirston Lawrence also sits at 10-under after a three-over-par round on Saturday.