Paul Casey ‘jealous’ of PGA Tour rivals after paying price for LIV Golf move

Paul Casey narrowly missed out on winning an Olympic medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021, and three years later, the English golfer won’t have the opportunity to compete in Paris. Casey expressed feeling “jealous” of his fellow countrymen Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick, who will represent Team GB at the Paris Olympic Games this week.

Casey had partnered with Fleetwood in Team GB colors at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, but for the 2024 event at Le Golf National, he has been replaced by Fitzpatrick. The qualification process for the men’s golf event is determined by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).

Since joining LIV Golf in 2022, Casey’s ranking has significantly dropped. He was ranked 22nd in the world heading into the Olympics three years ago, but he has now fallen to 693rd. Despite his absence, Casey wished Fleetwood and Fitzpatrick well, saying, “Part of me is actually very jealous because it really was something amazing. I think Tommy and Matt have got a great chance of winning a medal, so I wish them all the best, and I’ll be watching.”

Casey’s Olympic journey in Japan ended in disappointment when he narrowly missed a spot on the podium. After tying for third place following four rounds of golf, Casey entered a seven-man playoff alongside Rory McIlroy and Colin Morikawa to determine the bronze medalist. Unfortunately, Casey fell short in the playoff, with C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei ultimately winning the bronze.

Reflecting on his Olympic experience, Casey admitted, “To finish at the time tied third and then walk away with the Olympics with nothing is pretty sobering. But it gave me an understanding of what it’s like for Olympic athletes to sort of have something that you’ve worked so hard for, in our case, four years, and then sometimes your Olympic experience is quite humbling. In our sport, obviously very different, we play almost week in and week out.”

Despite the heartbreak, Casey cherishes the memory of competing on the Olympic stage. “On the bright side, I’ve never been a part of anything like that, to represent your country at any level, and I’ve done it at an amateur level right through to professional. The Olympics ranks right up there as one of the greatest things I’ve ever done, taking the results out of that. And that was a muted experience because it was Japan and it was COVID and we couldn’t stay longer than our event lasted so you couldn’t mingle the way you wanted to. Still, it was unbelievable.”

Fleetwood and Fitzpatrick will begin their Olympic quest in Team GB colors during Thursday’s opening round at Le Golf National.