A tearful Paul Casey vowed to donate all of his prize money to the victims of the Crans-Montana bar fire after storming into the lead of the DP World Tour's Omega European Masters on Saturday. The English player produced eight birdies - including a crowd-pleaser on the 18th - to go seven-under-par in his third round and open up a three-shot lead over Austria's Maximilian Steinlechner, South Africa's Erik van Rooeyn and Spanish duo Nacho Elvira and Eugenio Chacarra. The event is being held at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club in the area of Switzerland where 41 people were killed and 115 others injured in a fire in a bar in the early hours of New Year's Day.
Casey, who now lives in Switzerland, got emotional when he was asked what a victory on Sunday would mean to him. I really do, so it was a wonderful day," he said. 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. "So I've got a lot to play for tomorrow." Saturday's round of 63 follows a 64 on Friday and a 67 on Thursday for former world No 3 Casey, who has not won on the DP World Tour for five-and-a-half years after defecting to LIV Golf in 2022.
He produced six birdies on the front nine on Saturday with his only blemish coming with a bogey on the 14th before birdies at the 15th and 18th extended his overnight lead to three shots. He feared his season was over when a wrist injury forced him to withdraw from a LIV event in Korea earlier this year, but despite not being fully fit, he insists his limited schedule this season leaves him in a strong position for a victory push on Sunday. "I'm 49 now, so I'm not sure how good everything is.
There are ailments for sure. "Yes, 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. "I thought that could have been the season.
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. "It's obviously good enough to shoot some good scores, so I'm happy with it." Van Rooyen and Steinlechner both matched Casey's seven-under round to join Elvira and Chacarra in the group three back from the leader with another Spaniard, Angel Ayora (-12) one shot further back.
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