ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- The two Englishmen to make the cut at this week’s McGladrey Classic have withdrawn from competition early Saturday morning. Paul Casey, who entered the week at No. 127 on the money list, pulled out prior to the start of his round with an undisclosed illness. The 34-year-old’s two-year exemption from his victory at the 2009 Shell Houston Open is set to expire after this season. He was playing this week to try and move inside the top 125 and retain full status on TOUR. Casey is not scheduled to play next week in the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic, the PGA TOUR season finale. Brian Davis, a five-time runner-up on TOUR, withdrew after he parred the first hole of his third round with a neck injury. At No. 66 on the money list, his 2012 TOUR card is secure. Davis is committed to play next week’s event at Disney if his neck is good to go by next Thursday. If not, current first alternate Aron Price will get the call.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Paul Casey entered the Fall Series needing to make a move up the money list to ensure himself of full status on TOUR for the 2012 season. He made a move at the Frys.com Open with his T7 finish. But the Englishman who has been battling a foot injury for much of the season came to the McGladrey Classic at No. 127 on the money list, still needing to make a move. Friday’s even-par 70 could hamper his ability to make any kind of move this week. The round left Casey at 1 under for the week and tied for 53rd on the leaderboard, right on the cut line. There are currently 73 players at that number or better, but any upward movement for the cut line would leave Casey on the outside looking in. Casey’s round got off to a good enough start. He was 3 under through his first 10 holes before hitting his tee shot in the water to the right of the second fairway, then three-putting for a double bogey. From there, Casey had six consecutive pars then a closing bogey on No. 9 to put his status for this weekend, and next season, in jeopardy. The 34-year-old earned a two-year exemption for his maiden TOUR victory at the 2009 Shell Houston Open. He has made 10 cuts in his first 14 starts this season, but has just one top-10 finish – his lowest total since he had one in eight 2006 starts. Should Casey not make the cut and move comfortably inside the top 125 this week, he can still retain his status by entering and having a good showing next week at the Children's Miracle Network Classic.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Currently 127th on the PGA TOUR money list, Paul Casey opened his McGladrey Classic with a 1 under 69 that leaves him six shots behind clubhouse leader Webb Simpson. More importantly, his position on the leaderboard leaves him in a precarious predicament. Now projected to No. 131 on the money list, Casey will need to play well enough tomorrow to make the cut and well enough this weekend to move up the ranks, or else his status on TOUR will be on the line next week at the Children’s Miracle Network Classic.

SAN MARTIN, Calif. -- Paul Casey just teed off, and he still leads by one -- though Briny Baird and Troy Matteson have joined the group at 7 under with Ernie Els and Bud Cauley.

Coming off a course-record and season-best (in relation to par) 64, Casey leads at the halfway mark for just the second time in his career on the PGA TOUR. He held a share of the 36-hole lead at the 2009 Shell Houston Open, where he went on to claim his lone victory on TOUR.

Casey entered this week at No. 135 on the money list and is in search of his first top-10 on TOUR this year in what’s just his 14th start -- Casey has battled a foot injury much of the year. His best result of the season was a tie for 12th at the Northern Trust Open in his first start of the year in February.

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

SAN MARTIN, Calif. -- Paul Casey came into this week needing a good performance to climb back inside the top 125 on the money list to secure his TOUR card for next year. Getting healthy, however, is a bigger priority he admitted.

Since May, Casey has been battling a right foot injury -- most of that time he’s had a plate in his shoe and his toes were taped up. After a visit to Gary Gray and Dave Tiberio at the Gray Institute, though, Casey says he’s feeling about 70 percent.

“Going back a few weeks ago, I don't know where I would have put it,” said Casey, who, in layman’s terms, couldn’t turn his foot correctly because of the injury.

He’s getting better, however, and it showed on Friday in the form of a 64 to take the lead at 8 under halfway through the Frys.com Open. That, by the way, comes on the heels of a victory in last week’s Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea, which in and of itself doesn’t mean a whole lot other than the jet lag Casey was fighting due to a 16-hour time difference.

“It's the first time I've been on the golf course since making progress with the foot and the toes, and it was night and day,” Casey said. “Suddenly a little bit of confidence, the ball-striking is coming back.”

The result Friday? Eleven of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation. Not to mention just 26 putts, including a couple of birdies from long distance.

“It's nice to look up and know that the golf ball is actually going in the direction that I wanted it to go in,” Casey said. “which hasn't happened in a really long time.”

SAN MARTIN, Calif. -- While putting has been a problem for Tiger Woods, it hasn’t been one for Paul Casey.

Through 15 holes here in the second round, Casey has just 20 putts -- even more impressive when you take into consideration that he’s hit 12 of 15 greens in regulation. He’s also made a couple of lengthy ones, including a 37-footer on No. 16 and a 24-footer on the 17th, on his way to seven birdies and just one bogey.

Casey was especially hot with the flat stick on the back nine -- his first nine holes -- with seven one-putts. He’s cooled a bit since then, but he’s atop the leaderboard at 7 under with three holes left in his round.

SAN MARTIN, Calif. -- At 135th on the money list entering the week, Paul Casey needs to play well to secure his PGA TOUR card for next season. That sounds strange given Casey’s ability, but he’s battled injury all year and has played in just 13 events.

Well, he’s putting together the kind of performance he needs. He just made the turn to the front here at CordeValle in 31, making six birdies -- including four in a row to close out the back -- and just one bogey. That moves Case into a share of the lead at the moment with Garrett Willis at 6 under.

Another shot back from that is Shane Bertsch, while Bud Cauley is one of three players currently at 4 under. Without status this year, Cauley could use  a good performance as well.

SAN MARTIN, Calif. -- Tee times for the first two rounds of this week’s Frys.com Open. Here’s a look at some of the notable groups. Let us know which groups you’re most interested in following.

CLICK HERE FOR TEE TIMES

Players	Tee time (Starting hole)	Comment
Louis Oosthuizen Tiger Woods Patrick Cantlay	Rd. 1: 3:10 p.m. ET (1st) Rd. 2: 10:40 a.m. ET (10th)	Woods is playing for the first time since missing the cut at the PGA, while Cantlay, the top-ranked amateur in the world, is looking to extend his streak of top-25s in TOUR events to five this year.
Bill Lunde Paul Casey Trevor Immelman	Rd. 1: 3:00 p.m. ET (1st) Rd. 2: 10:30 a.m. ET (10th)	Casey is trying to work his way into the top 125 on the money list. Lunde is trying to hold on to his spot atop the Kodak Challenge leaderboard.
Ernie Els  Angel Cabrera Justin Leonard	Rd. 1: 10:40 a.m. ET (10th) Rd. 2: 3:10 p.m. ET (1st)	Els has never gone an entire season on TOUR without a top-10, but that’s what he’s facing this year. Cabrera is trying to end a streak of four consecutive missed cuts on TOUR.

By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Paul Casey entered the Wyndham Championship ranked 147th in the FedExCup. In a weird way, though, that might be working in his favor.

The Englishman feels like he has nothing to lose. So instead of obsessing over how many points he needs to earn to climb into the top 125 and earn a spot in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, Casey has his eye squarely on the Sam Snead Trophy.

The approach appears to be working, too. Casey fired a 65 on Thursday that left him two strokes off the lead held by Jeff Quinney and Tommy Gainey -- and as a byproduct of that success, he's projected to climb 25 spots to No. 122 in the FedExCup.

"I've got nothing to lose this week," Casey said. "So I'm trying to put myself in a position to win this golf event. I believe I got to be top four to seal a place for next week and there are top-10 situations, depending on what other guys do.
   
"So, I'd love to be part of that. I don't need to get too far ahead, don't need to start thinking about that on a Thursday. For me it's focusing on today and I did a very good job of that, actually. I really went out there very relaxed and -- yeah, I didn't get too caught up in sort of worrying about FedEx stuff.

"Because I'm not on the bubble, quite a way outside, I don't need to worry about it quite as much. ... I'm going to go ahead and enjoy and put myself in a position to win it."

ON THE WAY UP

JEFF QUINNEY: No longer fully exempt on TOUR, Quinney is making just his 11th start this year. As a result, he came to Greensboro ranked 215th in the FedExCup and in real danger of missing the Playoffs for the second straight season. A year ago, it was a real heartbreaker, too -- Quinney finished at No. 126, two strokes shy of advancing. On Thursday, though, Quinney fired a 63 that left him tied for the lead with Tommy Gainey and he's currently projected at No. 79. a prodigious jump of 136 spots.

"The only chance I get in the Playoffs is probably winning this week and coming with the attitude of ... basically just push all your chips in and this is what I got," Quinney said., "It's my last chance and don't hold back, try to get out of my own way."

ERNIE ELS: The South African has played in every Playoffs event during the first four years of the FedExCup. In fact, he was ranked No. 1 entering The Barclays last year. Els has struggled with his putter this year, though, and he added Greensboro to his schedule -- making his first apppearance since 1997 -- because he found himself ranked No. 126, trailing Camilo Villegas by .437 of a point. He opened with a 65, though, and projects to move up 17 spots.

"I say to the guys my playoffs have started this week, because if I don't play well this week I'm not advancing," Els said. "So most of the other guys have four playoff events, I've got five. I feel like I need to do well and enough to get to The Barclays and keep going.
It's hard not to think about it. There's quite a bit of pressure on us guys lower down the field. You need to perform well."

JUSTIN LEONARD: The Texan, who tied for third at last year's Wyndham Championship, opened with a solid round of 66 on Thursday. Leonard finished Thursday night projected as the bubble boy, which would make a move of 17 spots.

"I'm trying to build a little bit of momentum," Leonard said. "Obviously it's been a disappointing and frustrating year but my game has been better the last few weeks. I haven't been able to get really good scores out of it and so, you know, I would love to play well this week and make the Playoffs but really just I want to kind of build the things on I'm working on and see if some good things happen and I'm going to play a few events in the fall. Hopefully, I'd certainly like to be playing next week."

HEADED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION

CAMILO VILLEGAS: He came into the week as the bubble boy at No. 125 and shot an even-par 70. He battled back from bogeys at his first two holes, but couldn't get anything going. As a result, Villegas projects to fall six spots in the rankings and is also in danger of missing the cut.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: The Irishman was the last player to commit to the Wyndham Championship, making his decision after the second round of the PGA Championship and delaying what would have been a family vacation to the Bahamas. He came to Greensboro for the first time ever ranked No. 130 in the FedExCup and didn't help his standing in Round 1. Harrington played well early on Thursday, making the turn 3 under but he ended up shooting a 71 that left him in a  tie for 71st.

CAMERON BECKMAN: Beckman didn't do himself any favors on Thursday with a late string of three straight bogeys on his back nine en route to a 73. He's tied for 135th at the Wyndham Championship, as a result, and projects to drop from No. 124 to 129th in the FedExCUp standings. He'll likely need to go low on Friday to have a chance.