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Published: Saturday May 23, 2009 MYT 8:10:00 AM
Updated: Saturday May 23, 2009 MYT 8:11:47 AM

Casey leads BMW PGA by two after two rounds

VIRGINIA WATER, England: Paul Casey started better than he finished with an erratic 5-under 67 for a two-stroke lead halfway through the BMW PGA Championship on Friday.

At 8 under overall, Casey led by two from defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez (70), David Horsey (71), Anthony Wall (71) and Soren Kjeldsen (69).

Ben Curtis was among three players another stroke back, while Colin Montgomerie and Rory McIlroy were at 2 under.

Jose Maria Olazabal, voted into the World Hall of Fame this week, birdied his last two holes for a 70 and joined John Daly, with a 71, at two under.

Course designer Ernie Els birdied the last for a second 73 that left him right on the cut of 2 over, beside Graeme McDowell, who shot 71 despite shin splints in his right leg.

An MRI scan revealed McDowell did not have a stress fracture, which could have forced him out for several weeks.

Those missing the cut included Masters champion Angel Cabrera (75), the 2005 winner, and world No. 4 Henrik Stenson (70), who needed an eagle at the last and could make only par.

Lee Westwood was out after a second successive 77.

Casey said his round of two eagles, four birdies, and three bogeys was "a bit frustrating."

"My ball-striking was better today and I hit a lot of good shots at the flags but I still made a few too many mistakes," the Englishman said.

"If I look at the number at the bottom, I'm pleased, but not with the last five holes."

That span included both bogeys, one at the 17th where he drove into trees.

By contrast, Casey started well, with an eagle at the long 4th.

"I think my drive hit a sprinkler head or a downslope because it went miles. Then I hit a 7-iron to seven feet," Casey said.

His second eagle, at the par-4 13th, came on a 9-iron 163 yards that bounced once and dropped into the hole for a two.

Casey has won Abu Dhabi and the Houston Open this year, and was runner-up at the Accenture Match Play.

He has risen from 41st at the start of the year to seventh in the world rankings, and has not reset his goals.

"I wrote them down at the start of the year and they were fairly lofty. I haven't had to redo them," he said.

Jimenez birdied two and bogeyed two of the first seven holes, followed that with 10 straight pars, and made a 25-foot putt for eagle at the last hole.

He drove into a fairway bunker on 18 but a perfect 5-wood put him on the front of the green.

"My game today was not as good as yesterday but I played decent," the Spaniard said.

"A 70 was about the right score for how I played today."

Kjeldsen's second straight 69 was highlighted by a chip-in off a difficult lie at the 16th.

Horsey and Wall, who shared the first round lead, both shot 71. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, level with them overnight, plunged to a 77.

Daly atoned for a poor day with his irons by chipping in three times on the back nine, including once from a bunker.

On a perfect day with little wind, scoring was still not easy on the fast-running course redesigned over the past two years by Els.

The pin placements were also tough.

"Ernie has done a great job," Daly said.

"He has really made you think where you have to hit it with some of the bunkers." - AP

Leading scores Friday from the BMW PGA Championship, a euro4.5 million ($6 million) European Tour event on the 7,320-yard, par-72 West Course at Wentworth Club:

Second Round=

Paul Casey, England 69-67_136

Miguel Angel Jimenez, Spain 68-70_138

David Horsey, England 67-71_138

Anthony Wall, England 67-71_138

Soren Kjeldsen, Denmark 69-69_138

Marc Warren, Scotland 72-66_138

Thomas Aiken, South Africa 72-67_139

Ben Curtis, United States 69-70_139

Stephen Dodd, Wales 71-68_139

Charl Schwartzel, South Africa 68-72_140

Pablo Larrazabal, Spain 73-67_140

Alexander Noren, Sweden 69-71_140

Alvaro Quiros, Spain 69-71_140

Thomas Levet, France 70-71_141

Anton Haig, South Africa 72-69_141

Pelle Edberg, Sweden 72-69_141

Jamie Donaldson, Wales 70-71_141

Ross Fisher, England 68-73_141

Martin Kaymer, Germany 72-70_142

Jean-Francois Lucquin, France 70-72_142

Mark Foster, England 72-70_142

Lee Slattery, England 70-72_142

Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland 72-70_142

Colin Montgomerie, Scotland 69-73_142

Anders Hansen, Denmark 72-70_142

Niclas Fasth, Sweden 68-74_142

Also=

Andres Romero, Argentina 71-72_143

Paul Lawrie, Scotland 72-71-143

John Daly, United States 73-71_144

Jose Maria Olazabal, Spain 74-70_144

Darren Clarke, Northern Ireland 74-71_145

Thongchai Jaidee, Thailand 71-74_145

David Howell, England 76-69_145

Thomas Bjorn, Denmark 73-73_146

Luke Donald, England 74-72_146

Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland 75-71_146

Ernie Els, South Africa 73-73_146

Missed cut=

Henrik Stenson, Sweden 78-70_148

Retief Goosen, South Africa 71-77_148

Angel Cabrera, Argentina 74-75_149

Jeev Milka Singh, India 76-76_152

Paul McGinley, Ireland 73-80_153

Lee Westwood, England 77-77_154

Michael Campbell, New Zealand 79-82_161 - AP


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