Paul Casey shot an opening 66 at the Barclays Classic on Thursday and is rooting for fellow-Briton Ian Poulter to join him on the leaderboard at the opening event of the FedExCup playoff series. Casey has given up hope of claiming an automatic berth in the European Ryder Cup team on points and figures his chances of being named as a captain's pick by Nick Faldo would improve if Poulter did well here and qualified on the world points list. British Open runner-up Poulter is 12th on the combined Cup table. The top 10 earn automatic berths. Casey was in second place after his five-under-par round at Ridgewood Country Club, four shots behind American Hunter Mahan. Poulter, however, struggled in with a two-over-par 73. The 31-year-old Casey, a member of the last two European Ryder Cup-winning teams, said he would love to play against the United States next month in Louisville, Kentucky. Hansen, Rose on course In the Netherlands, Denmark's Soren Hansen and England's Justin Rose took steps towards Ryder Cup qualification in Thursday's first round of the KLM Open led by Dutchman Rolf Muntz. Hansen occupies 10th spot in the European Ryder Cup Team, just 268 euros ahead of Germany's Martin Kaymer, who is two over par after a 72, with 10 days to go till the Aug. 31 deadline for selection. Rose, who shot a 67, lies eighth in The Ryder Cup table and needs to avoid three players going past him by the end of next week. The Europeans will be bidding for a record fourth straight victory over the Americans at Valhalla in Kentucky from Sept. 19 to 21. Muntz, however, was the star of the opening round at the Kennemer Golf and Country Club with a six under par 64, leading by one from Hansen and Bickerton, and by two from Sweden's Alexander Noren. For Denmark's Hansen, who shot a brilliant 65, it could mean the end of a mini-slump. In his last four events, his best position has been a tie for 64th at the British Open, but his form here seems inspired. World Number 12 Rose had a bogey-free 67 and admitted he had barely slept the night before. “Now I'm looking forward to an afternoon nap,” said Rose, joint ninth at the US PGA Championship two weeks ago. “It must have been three o'clock when I got to sleep - I had a coffee at dinner and there must have been rocket fuel in it. “I wasn't as rested as I would have liked, but I got away with it. I didn't play particularly well, but I guess I managed it well. – Reuters __
