VIRGINIA WATER, England (PA) -- Paul Casey set himself some lofty goals for this year -- but though he is keeping them secret, reaching No. 3 in the world was almost certainly not among them.

That would have been asking an awful lot given the fact that he started 2009 down in 41st place, yet he is up to seventh and victory in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on Sunday will take him there.

The Ryder Cup star, with wins in Abu Dhabi and Houston already to his name, went into the third round Saturday afternoon 8 under par and two ahead of defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez, Scot Marc Warren, England's Anthony Wall and David Horsey and Dane Soren Kjeldsen.

Casey was asked after a second-round 67 containing two eagles whether he was at all surprised by the impact he has made this season.

"I don't know what the right word is -- sort of gratifying or a sense of accomplishment," he answered. "It's nice because of the work I've been putting in, but I don't want to say surprising because I think that would be wrong."

Four years ago the 31-year-old's career was in real crisis -- and his slump included a bad experience at this week's venue.

After failing to break 80 at the Forest of Arden, Casey had two 78s round the West Course here at Wentworth and feared for the safety of spectators because he was so wild. He then went to the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, collapsed to an opening 85 and could not bring himself to play a second round.

Two more missed cuts followed, but gradually his game and his confidence were put back together and just a year later he won the $1 million first prize in the World Match Play at Wentworth and a week after that helped Europe to victory in the Ryder Cup by becoming the first player ever to end a match with a hole-in-one.

His self-belief is at an all-time high now, but by finishing bogey-par on the two closing par 5s Friday his halfway advantage was not what it might have been.

Casey also had to seek a replacement shaft for the 4-iron he bent round a tree on the 17th -- and since it was a special type he thought that might prove quite a task.

Jimenez is trying to emulate Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie in making a successful defense of the title, while Kjeldsen is seeking a third win in the last six months.

Wall, Horsey and Warren are quite simply seeking the biggest victory of their lives.

Londoner Wall's only success in more than 300 Tour events was in South Africa nine years ago, Warren's World Cup win with Montgomerie in China two years ago would be eclipsed if he grabbed the first prize.

And Horsey? The 24-year-old was in the Walker Cup with Rory McIlroy in 2007 and last season won the second-tier European Challenge Tour.

Casey does not worry about several of the event's biggest names. Angel Cabrera, Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood, Retief Goosen, Paul McGinley and Oliver Wilson, last year's runner-up, are all already out.

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