Paul Casey wins European Tour Shot of the Month award for January 2011
World number six Paul Casey won the first European Tour Shot of the Month award for January 2011 for his outstanding five-wood approach in the first round of Volvo Golf Champions which took place at the Royal Golf Club in Bahrain.
The Englishman marvelled the world with a victory after a gap of twenty months at the famous golf course, which is known for its challenges and treacherous terrain.
He took a shot from 265 yards for the ninth green, which was completely barricaded. The ball plunged over the sand and stopped 8 feet from the flag, hitting Green in Regulation.
Casey could not see the ball stopping near the flag unlike the crowd who cheered at the miracle. He then walked towards the green with his caddie and rolled in a perfect eagle for his shot of the month.
Casey has won this award ahead of Martin Kaymer of Germany and South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel.
Schwartzel was nominated for his near-perfect bunker shot in the final round of the Joburg Open when he birdied the par-4 13th hole at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club and won the tournament.
On the other hand, Kaymer earned a point on the same hole of the Abu Dhabi Golf Club and relished his first victory on the European Tour 2011.
European Tour announced the results on Tuesday and declared Casey the winner.
The Englishman was extremely happy for his second achievement of the year and said, “This is the third time I’ve won the shot of the month, and it’s always great to win these awards – especially as this one was voted for by the public. I could not have hit
the shot much better – I knew right away that there was a fair chance it would finish close to the hole. But it was only a great shot because I rolled in the eagle putt. If I’d missed, it would’ve undone all my hard work.”
In 2010, Graeme McDowell won the award, when he birdied the 16th green of Celtic Manor and helped the European team in winning the Ryder Cup.
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