Paul Casey broke down in tears after his final round at the Open after revealing his father is in intensive care following a heart operation.
World No.28 Casey, 44, has joined LIV Golf and will make his debut in the third event at Trump Bedminster in New Jersey on July 29. But Casey, who finished tied third here in the 2010 Open after playing in the final group, admitted he has not been focused on his golfing future with his father in a London hospital.
“I'm really out of the loop,” he said. “I've had a lot going on. My dad's actually in ICU right now. He had a triple bypass.”
The former Ryder Cup star, who missed the first three Majors of the year with a back injury, shot a closing 70 to finish on four-under par out in St Andrews.
His father is Terry Casey, who is well-known in golf circles as the former England men's team manager. In 2016, following his retirement, he was awarded for the Outstanding Contribution to Coaching at the England Golf Coaching Conference.
Following his final round in St Andrews, Casey was also probed on his decision to join LIV Golf in what was an emotional interview. The Englishman said he had done his 'due diligence' before making his move to the Saudi-backed tour and was aware his world ranking would suffer as well as threatening his future appearances at the majors.
"I was fully aware of what might be, of the possibility of not playing majors," he said. "I think it's an interesting question for the younger guys. Myself, I'm hanging on in the world rankings.
“We're going to see what happens with the DP World Tour. But I was under no illusions that my ranking could slide and be out within however long, whatever the timeframe is. More incentive to play well this week as well to try and get points. I did my due diligence, put it that way.”
Following the announcement two weeks ago that Casey was to join the breakaway tour, LIV Golf's chief executive Greg Norman said: “LIV Golf continues to attract the best players in the sport as it builds increasingly competitive fields with each event.
"Paul Casey adds to the growing list of top 50 golfers who are excited to be part of an innovative and entertaining format that is creating something new for golf. His proven track record on a global stage adds another exciting piece to the competition as we prepare for Bedminster."
