Casey and Karlsson impress on debut
Paul Casey and Robert Karlsson marked their debuts in the HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth on Thursday with two superb victories to reach the quarter-finals.
Casey knocked out twice US Open champion Retief Goosen six and four and then Karlsson, a week away from his first Ryder Cup, kept alive his hopes of the £1million first prize - the biggest in golf - by defeating new world number two Jim Furyk.
The two European team-mates each produced some sparkling stuff as they set up matches against Mike Weir and Angel Cabrera respectively.
Casey was two down after 11 holes, but got back to all square at lunch and then, as he put it, "went a bit crazy".
The Surrey golfer covered the next six holes in six under par with four birdies and a 15-foot eagle putt at the 552-yard fourth, turned in 29 and quickly added another birdie to press home the advantage.
"I'm very happy with that. I had a tough opponent with 'The Goose'," commented Casey, so looking forward to his second cap for Europe.
"When he is hot he is extremely hot and two down early on was not good. But I was very, very happy to get back to all square after 18, went a bit crazy and fortunately he didn't answer."
