• PGA Tour

Woods and Casey to be forced into winter action

Paul Casey will definitely play in the PGA Tour's Fall Series - Tiger Woods may join him © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Tiger announces next PGA Tour appearance
  
• News: Couples hands Tiger a Presidents Cup place
  
• News: From what I've seen, Woods will win again - Harrington
  
• Out of Bounds: It's time to consider introducing a fifth major
  
• News: Simpson leapfrogs Woods in rankings
  
• News: Simpson snaps up maiden title
  
• Profile: Paul Casey | Tiger Woods

Both Tiger Woods and Paul Casey are considering playing in tournaments from the PGA Tour's winter schedule as they look to salvage something from poor 2011 campaigns.

Neither player managed to make it into the top 125 of the FedEx Cup standings this year, meaning they are now ineligible to play in any events on the main tour in the United States until the end of September.

Woods has previously said he will use the enforced lay-off to go away and work on his game, but has now hinted he could return to action later in the year to gain some more competitive experience.

"I might add another PGA Tour event to my schedule. Right now, I'm looking at my options," Woods said on his blog.

The American is looking to play his way onto the American team for the Presidents Cup, which takes place in mid-November in Melbourne - a week after Woods is due to tee it up at the Australian Open in Sydney.

Playing in an event on the PGA's 'Fall Series' - a quartet of less prestigious tournaments that generally fail to attract full-strength fields - could help press his place for inclusion.

"Hopefully I'll get picked for the Presidents Cup team," he said. "I've had some conversations with US captain Fred Couples, and we'll see how it goes. Of course, I want to be on the team.

"It's always fun to play for your country. I'm just going to keep practising and try to get better. It's Freddie's call, and he can make any choice he wants."

Casey, meanwhile, failed to play his way into the FedEx playoffs after a poor performance over the weekend at the recent Wyndham Championship. As a result, he still needs to play in at least two more events to earn his playing privileges for 2012.

Casey has so far played 13 times in the US in 2011, with PGA Tour rules requiring individuals to have played a minimum of 15 events to be eligible for their card to be renewed for the next season.

"I don't have my PGA Tour card yet, so a lot may change with my schedule over here," Casey said. "I have a couple of events I will have to play in the Fall Series to make sure I play my 15.

"The whole season has been a washout really. It has been so frustrating, I am not even sure I can grade it. I feel very choppy in terms of the way I have played. There is no flow to it."

Much like Woods, Casey - who won earlier in the year on the European Tour in Bahrain - has struggled all season with injury, as a toe problem has disrupted his progress.

"It has been screwing the golf so badly, I had an MRI scan and was told it was turf toe [ligament damage under the toe]," he said. "It has ruined my golf swing for the past couple of months. I've tried to take the weight off my toes and it has gone back on the heels, which is a really bad position to be in. It makes it almost impossible to hit longer clubs, especially drivers and three-woods.

"In hindsight, I should have rested it. I tried to play through it, which was a mistake. At least now I will have an enforced break for a few weeks and time to get this healed so I am ready to go for the rest of the season."

The 'Fall Series' includes four events between September 29 to October 23. The first event, in Las Vegas, was the site of Woods' maiden professional victory back in 1996.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.