PINEHURST — The USGA was left angry after Paul Casey withdrew from the 2005 US Open at Pinehurst without a genuine medical reason, walking away after an opening 85 left him at the bottom of the leaderboard. It was a brutal week in North Carolina where no player finished under par, Michael Campbell won on level par, and the leader after two of the first three rounds sat at three-under. Players at eight over par after two rounds made the cut, but Casey did not start his second round.
Tournament official Marty Parkes criticized the decision, as reported by the New York Post. "Nine thousand people enter this tournament," he said. "To get a place is a tremendous reward. We do not look kindly at anyone withdrawing without a genuine medical reason. We do not fine players, but we'll look into any appropriate action that can be taken." The Englishman had done himself few favors after the Ryder Cup the previous year with clumsy comments regarding American people, for which he subsequently apologized as reported by BBC Sport.
Later in the month Casey explained his decision as reported by the Irish Examiner, insisting a reason had been given to officials. "Three people – my coach, my sports psychologist and my physio – all told me it was best I got out of Pinehurst," he said. "I was struggling with my game and I thought I would be doing my playing partners Jeff Maggert and Jerry Kelly no favours by playing the second round." At that stage he had been 46 over par across his previous seven rounds.
Casey, now 49, has been a teammate of Bryson DeChambeau in recent years with the pair representing Crushers on LIV Golf. The history resurfaced after DeChambeau apparently threatened to withdraw after being handed a two-shot penalty following his second round at Royal Birkdale at The Open Championship, a moment that invited comparison to Casey's own withdrawal more than two decades earlier.