Paul Casey started Ryder Cup week in dream fashion at Wentworth on Sunday.

The 29-year-old English star became £1million richer by hammering American Shaun Micheel by a record 10 and eight margin in the final of the HSBC World Match Play Championship.

But being handed the biggest cheque in golf at the end of his first appearance in the event was not all that made it the greatest day in Casey's career so far. Not by a long way.

The victory also means he heads for Ireland tomorrow holding the number one spot on the European tour's Order of Merit for the first time in his career - and as a member of the world's top 20 for the first time too.

"I've no idea what I'm going to do with £1million yet - I'll stick it somewhere very safe," said Casey as the celebrations began.

"It's wonderful to put my name on the roll of honour here and it's been wonderful preparation for the Ryder Cup too."

All this comes just a year after a nightmare slump which saw Casey fail to make a single halfway cut from April until August, quit the US Open after an opening 85, not make a 10-strong Britain and Ireland side let alone a European team and drop to 72nd in the world.

Casey, three times a winner this season, will now look to be one of the spearheads of Europe's bid to win an unprecedented third successive Ryder Cup.

On his debut two years ago he played only twice, partnering David Howell - the player he replaces at the top of the money list - to a vital fourball success, but then losing in the top singles to Woods.

He had a far easier ride than he might have expected today against the man who had knocked out world number one Woods in the first round and had then beaten Casey's team-mates Luke Donald and Robert Karlsson to reach the final.

But the 37-year-old Micheel, not a member of the American side at the K Club despite finishing second to Woods at last month's US PGA, seemed to run out of gas as well as shirts.

Perhaps the aspirations of the world number 77 for the week were shown by the fact that he had not packed enough and wore the same shirt as he had for the semi-finals. And what appeared to be a falling-out with his Australian caddie during the morning round could not have helped him either.

In contrast, Casey did his best to look like a British Tiger - red shirt for the last day to go with his Nike gear and some pretty devastating golf at times as well.

He had already beaten major winners Retief Goosen and Mike Weir and teammate Colin Montgomerie without needing to play the final three holes, but once his lead over Micheel became three this was the most commanding performance of all.

An impressive opening nine holes played in a four-under-par 31 put Casey two up and although Micheel twice halved that deficit as mistakes crept into both men's games he then lost the 16th and 17th.

The second of those was due to a superb birdie from the Surrey golfer, who reached the green on the 610-yard hole with a drive and three-wood, but the former was a comedy of errors - except Micheel found it anything but funny.

He went way over the green with his approach, from down the bank chipped far too strongly off the front and then three putted for a double-bogey six.

Casey won it even though he had three putted himself and the 2003 US PGA champion not only told his caddie to keep his mouth shut in the future, but was also heard to threaten him with the sack as he walked to the 17th tee.

They were still together, though, as both men birdied the par-five 18th and when play resumed an hour later.

Casey went four clear with a 15-footer at the 20th and although he hooked into the trees on the next he got away with a half as Micheel found sand and also bogeyed.

Then it became one-way traffic. Casey birdied the par-five next, Micheel bogeyed the 24th, Casey pitched to four feet on the 25th and five feet at the 26th. Suddenly the gap was eight and it was effectively all over.

Casey, the first debutant to win since Ernie Els in 1994, had a third successive birdie and when Micheel conceded on the next he had suffered the biggest defeat in the final in the event's 43-year history.

"He made a couple of mistakes early on, but I made a couple right on top of him," said the American. "He played great, but it was kind of frustrating - I really wanted to win, but it was just not meant to be.

"My expectations were not that high starting the week and seeing the field, but having got to the final it's a little disappointing not to contend in it."