Casey builds two-shot lead in Tour Championship

Golfer’s last PGA Tour win was in 2009

ATLANTA — Paul Casey has his best chance at finally having something to show for his great play in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

And the payoff could be enormous.

Sloppy at the turn, Casey kept a clean card on the back nine at East Lake and holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole for some separation in the Tour Championship. He shot a 5-under 65 to build a twoshot lead, leaving him one round away from his first PGA Tour victory in eight years and 144 events.

His last victory was the Houston Open in 2009, though he has won five times around the world since then.

Different about this opportunity is the $10 million bonus if he were to win the FedEx Cup, and the 40-yearold from England headed home Saturday evening knowing he was projected to capture both trophies. “It would be amazing,” he said. Casey, who was at 12-under 198, has six top-5 finishes in his last eight FedEx Cup playoff events.

Kevin Kisner had a 64, his best round at East Lake by three shots, and still rued too many birdie chances that burned the edge of the cup. He left East Lake in a hurry without too much reflection on his round or his chances so he could take a helicopter to Georgia’s football game.

■ Champions: At Pebble Beach, Calif., Bernhard Langer birdied the 18th hole at Pebble Beach to salvage an indifferent back nine and move one shot ahead of Kenny Perry after two rounds of the PURE Insurance Championship, putting the German star in position for his fifth victory this year.

The 60-year-old Langer shot 67 and stood at 12-under 131 after his opening-round 64 at Poppy Hills.

■ EPGA: At Vilamoura, Portugal, Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark led the Portugal Masters by one shot after carding a 3-under-par 68 in the third round.

Bjerregaard made birdies on the third, fifth, and 10th holes.