Paul Casey, visibly moved, announced that he will give every cent of his prize earnings to those affected by the tragic bar fire in Crans-Montana after he surged into the front of the DP World Tour's Omega European Masters on Saturday. The English golfer delivered an impressive eight birdies during his third round, including a spectacular finish on the 18th hole, and posted a seven‑under‑par 63. That score put him three strokes ahead of a tightly packed group consisting of Austria’s Maximilian Steinlechner, South Africa’s Erik van Rooij, and Spain’s Nacho Elvira and Eugenio Chacarra.
The tournament is being contested at the Crans‑sur‑Sierre Golf Club, located in the Swiss region where a devastating fire in a local bar on New Year’s Day claimed 41 lives and injured 115 more. The tragedy has cast a somber shadow over the event, and Casey, who now resides in Switzerland, became emotional when asked what a potential victory would mean to him.
"I love this place. I really do, so it was a wonderful day," Casey said, his voice tinged with affection. "This is now home. I now live in Switzerland, so it would mean an awful lot.
It feels like a home week for me. And tomorrow, whatever happens, and I hope I win, and I'll be playing really hard, but I'll make sure that all my prize money is going to the charity and the victims of the fire here in Crans‑Montana.
So I've got a lot to play for tomorrow." His round of 63 on Saturday followed a 64 on Friday and a 67 on Thursday, marking a three‑day stretch of low scores for the former world No. 3.
Casey has not claimed a DP World Tour title in five and a half years, a drought that began after his move to LIV Golf in 2022. On Saturday’s front nine he recorded six birdies, with only a single bogey on the 14th hole marring an otherwise flawless performance. Birdies on the 15th and 18th holes extended his lead to three strokes heading into the final day.
Earlier this season, a wrist injury forced Casey to withdraw from a LIV event in Korea, leading him to fear that his competitive season might be over. Despite not being at full physical strength, he believes his limited schedule has kept him fresh and positioned him well for a possible win on Sunday. "I'm 49 now, so I'm not sure how good everything is. There are ailments for sure.
Yes, there was a wrist problem earlier in the year, but I bounced back from that and actually played some really good golf when we went to New York a few weeks after. I thought that could have been the season. There's always stuff. I think everybody out here’s got stuff going on.
But I honestly feel really good and I feel somewhat fresh, probably because I haven't played that much golf as I missed a bit. It's obviously good enough to shoot some good scores, so I'm happy with it," he explained. The field behind Casey is tightly packed. Both Van Rooyen and Steinlechner matched his seven‑under‑par round, joining Elvira and Chacarra three shots back.
Another Spaniard, Angel Ayora, sits at twelve under par, one shot further back. England’s Todd Clements, at eleven under, shares a seventh‑place tie with Francesco Laporta and Keita Nakajima. A larger group of fourteen players sit at ten under, featuring Englishmen Danny Willett, Matt Wallace, and Harry Hall, as well as former LIV player Patrick Reed, who returned to the DP World Tour earlier this year.
Friday’s leader, Thriston Lawrence, fell back into this group after a disappointing three‑over‑par round on Saturday. The final round will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf from 11 a.m. on Sunday, and fans can also stream the action via the NOW platform without a contract.
For those looking to experience the course themselves, the website offers booking options at over 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland. The combination of high‑stakes golf and a heartfelt charitable pledge has added an extra layer of emotion to an already compelling tournament, making Sunday’s showdown a must‑watch event for both sports enthusiasts and supporters of the Crans‑Montana fire victims.