PAUL CASEY TIGER CHARGE
Brit inspired by world No.1 - and his wife Jocelyn
PAUL CASEY has been inspired to mount an assault on the world No 1 spot - by marriage . . . and Tiger Woods.
The 31-year-old, now based in Scottsdale, Arizona, shot a third round 67 to take a three-shot lead into today's final round of the BMW PGA Championship.
Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen leads the chasing pack with Irish wonder boy Rory McIlroy (below) one shot further back.
Victory will elevate Casey to No 3 in the world behind Woods and Phil Mickelson. Cheltenham lad Casey married his long-time partner Jocelyn at the end of last year and is in the form of his life.
He has won twice already this season and reached the Match Play Championship final in Arizona.
Casey declared: "Has marriage made a difference? Clearly, it has. I should have got married sooner, shouldn't I?"
Majors
He has also taken to heart some motivating words from Woods, who described his second round 68 in tough conditions two years ago at The Masters as one of the finest ever major rounds.
Casey added: "I have the quote in a newspaper which was nice because he's seen many great rounds and played most of them!
"The majors are my goals. I know I have the game to contend and that is the next step, starting next month at the US Open.
"It was a good round today but it felt like a couple of bogeys on the last two holes, par-fives that I should have birdied."
McIlroy, just 20, could become the youngest winner of this event after he fired the low round of the week, a sizzling 65 which propelled him from tied 22nd into third place.
Blistering
Three birdies on the front nine and just one bogey along with five birdies in a blistering back nine lit up the West Course. It also strengthened McIlroy's belief that he can win for the second time this year.
"I've put myself in a great position to win this tournament," said McIlroy, who won his first European event in Dubai in February.
"I played very close to my best, fading the ball and drawing it off the tee when I needed.
"If I go out and shoot another 65 tomorrow I would like to think I will have a good chance but Paul won here in 2006 and knows the course well."
Kjeldsen shot 68 while Ross Fisher matched Casey's 67 to lie five shots back on eight under par alongside South African Charl Schwartzel. Thomas Levet, Marc Warren and Wales's Stephen Dodd are in a group on seven under.
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