Paul Casey bidding to fell Dustin Johnson and pull off another Valspar Championship giant

Paul Casey famously denied Tiger Woods an emotional comeback win in Tampa last year and on Sunday in the same Florida city he will attempt to fight off world No 1 Dustin Johnson. Yet as far as the Englishman concerned, it is the bigger the better at the Valspar Championship.

Casey stands on nine-under after a three-under 68 and will be in the final group at the Copperhead course alongside Johnson, who is only one behind following a 67.

Johnson will obviously be the favourite to win his third title from his last six events with just two more weeks before the Masters. But Casey, 41, is relishing the challenge. As well as trying to become the first player ever successfully to defend the Valspar, there will also be a sniff of revenge in the air.

“You know, I’d like to have kept a two-shot advantage over the world No 1 and not bogeyed the last today, but I look forward to playing against him tomorrow,” Casey said. “We had a tussle back in 2016 at the BMW Championship, in which we separated ourselves from the field. He won on that occasion, but this is what you want. As a professional you want to be playing against the best on a great golf course like this.”