Casey rides his luck with positive approach

"If you think you can, you can," the great American said. "And if you think you can't, you're right."

Casey can all right. Especially at The Belfry. The 28-year-old proved that to everyone with a 66 here yesterday to go to 11-under and take a three-shot lead into today's third round of the British Masters. It reminded everyone that here is a talent who will only ever be held back by attacks of baffling self-doubt.

There is little wonder, however, that Casey has rediscovered his confidence around this course; a personal triumph that promises to take him into a world's top 50 he should never really have departed. For it was at The Belfry where he won his first cheque on the European Tour five years ago and it was at The Belfry where he won his biggest title, the B&H International in 2003.

"Yeah, I like this place," he said. "All the memories, I suppose." And the place likes him. "I had a bit of luck out there," he admitted. "I had a big escape on the 13th." On that tricky par four, he watched in horror as his lob-wedge approach headed for a nasty gulley that would have almost certainly resulted in a five. Instead, it struck the flag and dropped the ball to five feet. A birdie, one of six yesterday, was gratefully if a little embarrassingly received.

But then Casey has earned his fortune so far this week. The fact that Graeme Storm's course record-equalling 64 was the only other card without a bogey tells its own story, as does Casey's ability to have gone 36 holes now without a blemish. However, he appreciates how much sport is left out there. "Make no mistake about that," he said.

Indeed, Darren Clarke in second on eight-under, Ian Poulter and Michael Campbell on six-under and even Padraig Harrington on three-under, will all fancy their chances of hauling him back. It is that sort of course, that sort of game.

That golf is ridiculous was underlined on the short seventh. On Thursday, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano was named European Tour Golfer of the Month after winning the Asian Open. Yesterday the Spaniard was named European Tour Plonker of the Month after completely missing the ball with a nonchalant swipe with the back of his putter when an inch from the hole.

What made it worse for the 25-year-old was that when he was just about to take his drive on the eighth tee, a cheer greeted Graeme McDowell's hole in one. So in consecutive shots the seventh saw one shot missed from an inch, the next canned from 177 yards. Daft? Casey realises how daft.