Casey: The door was open | Lahiri content with second

There was a sense of frustration for Paul Casey after he missed out on victory at The Players Championship after finishing two shots behind Cameron Smith.

The 44-year-old Englishman kept tabs on his Australian playing partner for much of the day, but suffered some bad luck on the par-five 16th at a crucial stage of the final round at TPC Sawgrass.

After Smith hooked his drive into the trees, Casey hit a booming drive and was hoping to put pressure on his rival, only to see his ball sitting down in a ball mark and denying him the chance to go for an eagle.

Both players eventually made pars, with Smith (66) going on to triumph by one stroke - a worthy winner according to Casey - from India's Anirban Lahiri (69), with Casey (69) a further shot back in third.

"I wish my ball hadn't finished in a ball mark on the 16th fairway, I know that!" Casey told Sky Sports. "You need a little bit of luck.

"It's the best shot I've hit all week on this hole. I've struggled with the drive a little bit this week, a lot actually, and to find this fairway with Cam in the trees, I thought the door was open. Now I see it, it doesn't make me feel any better!

"I wanted to go for the green, even out of that lie. I know how strong I can be out of the rough. There were just too many variables, too much risk, and from there it just gets difficult."

Casey finished the week in third spot and two strokes behind his playing partner, who mixed 10 birdies with four bogeys in a rollercoaster final day to secure his second victory of the year, with the Englishman paying tribute to Smith for the victory.

When asked if he felt he will get further opportunities to win the biggest events in the sport, Casey added: "Yes, with that quality of golf. You have to