Returning Casey out after two defeats

On a day of upsets at Finca Cortesin near Marbella, a very different test to the event's previous home Wentworth, the title hopes of Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer were ended as well.

Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy each suffered a heavy defeat too - but because they played only once on the opening day, they could yet make it through to the last four.

Still troubled by the rib muscle injury which had kept him out of action since August 6, top seed Casey lost to the tournament's rank outsider Scott Strange and then to American Ryder Cup player Anthony Kim. With Kim also beating Retief Goosen and then the South African getting the better of Strange, it is Kim in control of his own destiny in Group A.

England's Oliver Wilson, unable to play the Wednesday pro-am after waking up with a bad neck, is in pole position in Group B after wins over Garcia and Kaymer, both by one hole.

His last group game is against Robert Allenby, who missed out on the same double when Garcia birdied the last for a half. Even with that point, however, Garcia's match with Kaymer cannot take either to the top and Wilson will go through with a half against Allenby. Lose, though, and he is out.

Order of Merit leader and second seed Westwood was crushed by six holes by Indian Jeev Milkha Singh, who thought himself unlikely to play a week ago after pulling out of the US Tour event with foot trouble.

The other winner in Group D was England's Ross Fisher, who beat Colombian Camilo Villegas by two holes.

McIlroy knew facing Masters champion Angel Cabrera was a tough task on his debut in the event, even though he was the sixth seed and the Argentinian the 11th. So it proved. Cabrera came from one down after six to win by five holes, making birdies on the last three holes and coming home in a five under 30.

Third seed Henrik Stenson is the top man in the same group, but he looked rusty on his return from a six-week break and was beaten by three holes by in-form Simon Dyson.