Paul Casey crashes out of the Open with another dreadful performance

Paul Casey is now an horrendous 53 over par for his last five events in Europe after crashing out of The Open today.

The former world number three, in danger of falling out of the top 80 this weekend, collapsed from three under par after 12 holes of his first round to 11 over after a 79.

Casey, who has made only one halfway cut since dislocating his should snowboarding on Christmas Eve, resumed two over and still had high hopes when he sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the second and then made a remarkable par at the 478-yard next.

In deep rough for two, he hacked the ball over the green, but then chipped in and gave a fist pump.

Trouble was just around the corner, however. In addition to four bogeys there were sevens on the seventh and 11th, both par fives, and another double bogey at the short 12th.

Two weeks ago the 34-year-old Ryder Cup star finished joint last at the French Open with back-to-back 80s and last Friday a second successive 76 at the Scottish Open meant only three of the 156-strong field were behind him.

He told Press Association Sport at Castle Stuart: "Yes, the shoulder has damaged my golf, but I feel good physically and mentally.

"In a way, though, this is an opportunity. I'm doing a lot of learning about my swing. I'm also being incredibly thorough and not leaving any stone unturned.

"I'm addressing the mental side, the nutritional side, everything I do on and off the course because I want to get to a whole new level.

"I'm just dedicating myself to it as much as I can - if I'm not going to do it now I'm never going to do it."

PA