Casey still trying to salvage 'rubbish year'

• By Will Gray
• Nov 8, 2012 11:18 AM ET

After struggling mightily with injury issues this year, Paul Casey is looking to finish on a high note during a season that he admits has fallen short of expectation.

"I have had a fairly rubbish year," Casey commented Thursday to media after the opening round of The Barclays Singapore Open. "But the last few months, I have been building that back up and playing the sort of golf I am used to playing."

A skiing accident last December resulted in a dislocated shoulder for Casey, an injury that kept him away from competitive golf until March of this year. Upon return, Casey was able to make the cut in only four of his first 17 worldwide starts. After beginning the year ranked 20th in the OWGR, he slipped to 133rd in the world last month.

"I have really struggled to get over the shoulder injury," he told reporters. "I struggled with my game and lost a bit of confidence."

Casey began to show signs of a return to form last month in Australia, where he finished T-5 at the Perth International. He followed that result with a T-6 finish at the BMW Masters in Shanghai, and fired a 3-under 68 in Thursday's opening round to sit two shots off the pace set by Thomas Bjorn in Singapore. Currently 83rd in the Race to Dubai standings, he is unlikely to advance to the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai but is still hoping for one more top finish before 2012 concludes.

"My golf has been very nice lately and I would like to sneak in a win before I finish my season this year," noted Casey, whose last of 11 career European Tour wins came nearly two years ago. "I am very much focusing on next year...but there are tournaments still to be won."