Casey takes opening honours with 63

Sandy Lyle's hopes of keeping his European Tour card were hit for six when the double-major champion slumped 14 strokes off the Madrid Open first round lead on Thursday.

The three-times European number one, needing at least a top-nine place in his last event of the year to keep his card for next season, ran up two double-bogey sixes on his way to a six-over-par 77.

That left him 14 shots behind leader Paul Casey. Fellow Briton Casey's 63 earned him a one-stroke lead over Spain's Sergio Garcia and he is two shots ahead of Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Sweden's Robert Karlsson.

Lyle was bumped out of Europe's career money-list top-40, who automatically keep their cards, two weeks ago.

The 45-year-old Scot conceded he has no chance of getting back into the elite 40 and will have to rely on invitations next season after 25 years with a card.

His cause was not helped by his second double-bogey which came on the 16th, his seventh hole, when his ball hit a cart path and bounced into deep rough. He was only saved a lost ball because Nick Faldo's caddie Fanny Sunesson, in the match ahead, noticed where it had embedded itself, but he could do no better than his second six.

"That's it; game-set-and-match," said Lyle.

"The 16th sums my year up -- a year of knocks.

"That's what the game serves you up and obviously that didn't help my cause, although my game did get a bit scrappy in the end.

"I don't have a cat in hell's chance of making it now."

Lyle, also languishing 144th on the order of merit, needs to earn at least 30,000 euros ($35,360) to oust fellow Briton David Howell from 40th on the career money-list. His plight does not look good though with Englishman Howell, who plays in next week's Volvo Masters, carding a 71.

Casey, 22nd in the world rankings after two European Tour wins this year, and seventh on the European money-list, was happy to perform well after two weeks off.

While he relishes an important end to his season, which includes his second World Cup appearance for England, and wants to try to elevate himself further on the world rankings, the 26-year-old 2001 rookie of the year, is not putting himself under pressure.

"It would be nice to have a good World Cup and nice to finish off with another win, but I'm not going to let it drive me nuts," he said.

Although his 63 equalled Severiano Ballesteros's course record, preferred-lies are in operation because of pre-tournament wet weather.

Garcia had one of his best putting displays of the year to challenge strongly, including two eagles in three holes in his round.

Defending champion Steen Tinning, due to retire at the end of this season, is five strokes off the lead.

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