Paul Casey, considered for a wild card for last year's Ryder Cup, is determined to make the next one on his own merits.

The 25-year-old Englishman recorded a five-under 67 to lie two shots off the lead held by the Welsh pair, Stephen Dodd and Bradley Dredge, after the first round of the Dunhill Championship here. He said he already has one eye on making the European team for 2004.

"The overall target is the Ryder Cup in two years, and everything else falls into that," said Casey, who was considered for a wild card by Sam Torrance in 2001, the year he won the Scottish PGA Championship and Rookie of the Year honours, before the contest was postponed for a year.

"You want to be in a position, when the Ryder Cup qualifying starts, to be in the world's top 50 and the majors, to rack up some good points. You play with Ryder Cup players and you match them or beat them in a round and you think: 'I can do this'."

Casey missed the cut last week in Cape Town after rounds of 78 and 71 that included a dreaded shank on the opening day, but rediscovered his usual aggressive approach to record six birdies and one bogey.

The Welshmen had a one-shot lead over Zimbabwe's Sean Farrell and the South African duo of Callie Swart and Louis Oosthuizen, with Casey in joint sixth alongside Sheffield's Mark Roe and Leeds' Ben Mason – only in the field as a last-minute replacement for the sunstroke victim Andrew Oldcorn. The defending champion Justin Rose could only hit a 73.

DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP (Johannesburg) Leading first-round scores (GB or Irl unless stated): 65 S Dodd, B Dredge. 66 S Farrell (Zim), C Swart (SA), L Oosthuizen (SA). 67 P Casey, C Lile (SA), M Roe, S Dunlap (US), B Mason, C Williams. 68 S Drummond, P Lawrie, A McLardy (SA), J Hugo (SA), T Clark (SA), M Kirk (SA), S Dyson, M Mouland, R Sterne (SA). Selected: 71 P Broadhurst, L Westwood. 73 J Rose. 74 P Eales.