No player is more motivated this week at East Lake than Casey

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Paul Casey's first-round 66 has him in position to make a run at the FedExCup.

ATLANTA -- Timing is everything, at least for Paul Casey who now has recorded seven rounds in the 60s since being passed over by Colin Montgomerie as a Captain's Pick for the European Ryder Cup team.

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First-round coverage

RIGHT ON TIME: Geoff Ogilvy had his struggles in 2010 after winning the year's first event, but he's back in contention once again in the Playoffs. Column ROUND 1 REPORTS: Take a glance at how each of the 30 players in the field at THE TOUR Championship fared Thursday. More FEDEXCUP WRAP-UP: Four of the top five in the FedExCup standings struggled Thursday, leaving the door wide open for a number of players to chase the FedExCup. Story

The issue may be done and dusted for Casey, as he put it this week and every week since, but it's not for the rest of us. Call it coincidence, but you can't argue with those numbers -- the latest of which, a 66 on Thursday, gives Casey a share of the lead with Geoff Ogilvy and Luke Donald after the first round of THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola.

"I can't stop what you print," Casey joked.

Maybe not, but he may end up laughing all the way to the bank.

There is far too much golf still to be played this week for Casey to even think about the 11.3 million reasons he could have to smile in a few days time, which is the amount in combined dollars he'd earn for winning THE TOUR Championship and the FedExCup. But there are probably nearly as many reasons why he should be on the Ryder Cup team, too.

The only thing that matters to Casey, though, is what he can control and that's winning at East Lake.

"It would be the most important victory of my career," Casey said. "Certainly the biggest victory financially, by a long way."

It would also go a long way in validating the case that Casey should be in Wales next week instead of Whistler, Canada, where he'll be riding his bike through the mountains and watching the Ryder Cup on television.

Not that Casey, who is fifth in the FedExCup standings and would win the FedExCup with a victory at East Lake, needs any motivation, or validation for that matter.

"I'm not getting wrapped up in any sort of extra motivation," Casey said. "I don't need extra motivation. I'm motivated enough.

"I've got an opportunity to accomplish one of the goals which I set for myself at the beginning of the year. Now that the tournament is started, I'm just trying to put myself in that position to win and then tick off that goal, which would be a huge goal."

He certainly did that on what was an extremely difficult day of scoring. Just nine of the 30 players in the field broke par. Only one player, Jim Furyk, was without a bogey on his scorecard.

It also bodes well for Casey that the other players in the top five in the FedExCup standings couldn't break par. Charley Hoffman shot a 1-over 71, while FedExCup points leader Matt Kuchar struggled to a 72. Dustin Johnson and Steve Stricker shot 73 and 74, respectively.

There's also the possibility, however, that Casey could win the FedExCup without actually winning the tournament. He would need to finish no worse than a two-way tie for second and even then needs help (click here for the scenarios).

But after having his Ryder Cup chances dashed by not qualifying for the team on his own merit -- which sounds sort of funny given that his merit is exactly what should have landed him on the team -- he obviously doesn't want to leave the $10 million bonus to chance, too.

"They go a little earlier tomorrow, get some softer conditions, I would expect all of them to put in a decent performance," Casey said of his fellow players in the top five in the FedExCup standings.

Putting in better-than-decent performances is what has gotten Casey to this point. In his last seven starts, Casey has finished in the top 12 four times, which includes a tie for third at the British Open, where Casey said something in his game finally clicked, and a runner-up at the BMW Championship.

And while he may not need any added motivation this week, that doesn't mean Casey wouldn't take a little joy in the "crapstorm," as it was asked to him earlier in the week, a victory at East Lake would create overseas.

Casey, of course, didn't say anything in response to the question. He didn't need to. His smile said enough and so might his play.