Anyone can still win tournament, says Casey

Paul Casey has insisted that anyone still left in this weekend's US PGA Championship has a chance at victory.

Paul Casey is still hopeful of a victory.

BLOOMFIELD // Paul Casey has insisted that anyone still left in this weekend's US PGA Championship had a chance at victory. Casey lay seven strokes off the halfway lead set by American JB Holmes at Oakland Hills in the final major of the season. Yet the severity of the par-70, 7,395-yard course and stiffening breezes expected to continue over the last two rounds made the Englishman believe he still had a fighting chance of landing his first major championship.

"I honestly think anyone making the cut right now has still got a chance," Casey said following his second-round, four-over-par 74 that left him at six over for the tournament heading into the weekend. "Those going out in the morning with the better greens can post a number, and there is no reason why they can't get close," he said. Holmes held a one-shot lead on one-under-par over England's Justin Rose and American duo Charlie Wi and Ben Curtis, with another American, David Toms, and Henrik Stenson of Sweden another shot in arrears on level par.

Casey was confident he was going to finish closer to the leaders at one over for his round - before finishing bogey, bogey, bogey and slipping to a 74. He said: "I felt like I did nothing wrong the last few holes. I missed a couple of chances like the par-five 12th and a birdie chance on the 14th - which I let slide past the hole. Then all of a sudden a couple of misjudged putts left me with long par saves which slid by."

* PA Sport