ABU DHABI // Lying at six-under par when he tees off this morning, Paul Casey is realistically too far back to add to his two Abu Dhabi titles.
However, the satisfaction he will feel at his weekend's work is likely to endure for some time yet.
As part of his third-round 67 yesterday, the Englishman landed a hole-in-one at the par-3 12th, earning himself a three-night stay at the Emirates Palace hotel every year for the rest of his life in the process.
"You can't compare it to anything else - it is unique," Casey said. "Every hotel after the Emirates Palace seems sub-par. It is absolutely fantastic."
This year's championship has seen a relative glut of aces, with the three that have been sunk this weekend doubling the overall tally in its six-tournament history.
Soren Kjelsen won himself a Cadillac CTS for holing from the tee on the par-3 seventh on the opening day. Ricardo Gonzalez also made one at the same hole, but was a day late for winning the car.
Casey matched their efforts when he fired a seven iron into the 174-yard 12th, leaving him and his playing partners, Mikko Ilonen and Jamie Donaldson, to enjoy the moment in all but glorious isolation.
"I saw it go in and we had a crowd of about one that went bananas," Casey, the world No 8, said. "It certainly spruces up the scorecard putting down a one. What made me chuckle was the last tournament I played was the [Chevron World Challenge] in December.
"I had a hole-in-one in that tournament on the same hole, the 12th, with the same club, so it's all a bit spooky."