Ryder Cup hopeful Paul Casey has donned blinkers to focus on this week's Deutsche Bank Championship, the second of four events in the lucrative FedExCup playoff series.

Although the 31-year-old will learn his Cup fate on Sunday he refuses to be distracted in his bid for a maiden PGA Tour title at the TPC Boston.

Casey failed to qualify automatically for European captain Nick Faldo's team and is banking on being selected as one of two wildcards to be announced after the Johnnie Walker Championship in Scotland.

"There is absolutely nothing I can do in terms of qualification," the Englishman told reporters after moving into contention with a three-under-par 68 in Friday's first round.

"I can't qualify in the Euro points list and I can't qualify in the world rankings list so, as far as that's concerned, I am as relaxed as they come.

"But I have been playing some very solid golf recently. My focus is this week, trying to give myself the opportunity to win (the overall prize of) $10 million and try and win a golf tournament."

Outside the automatic top-10 places in the points standings, Casey is vying with fellow Britons Ian Poulter, Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie for a wildcard.

Northern Irishman Clarke advanced his claims by winning last week's Dutch Open on the same day Casey finished joint seventh in the FedExCup's Barclays Classic.

Poulter came closest to automatic selection among the quartet. Montgomerie, despite being a veteran of eight Ryder Cups, is widely viewed as a long-shot.

"I have not really been worrying about it," Casey said of his chances of making the team for a third time.

"I was so frustrated with myself to be out of the position to automatically qualify that as soon as that opportunity had gone, then that was it done. Now I am focusing on these tournaments, the FedExCup stuff."

When Faldo's wildcard picks are announced at around 1400 local (1800 GMT) on Sunday, Casey is likely to be out on the course in the third round.

Asked whether hearing good or bad news would be a distraction, he replied: "I did think about that. Will I find out before or will I find out during the round?

"I don't know what time we will tee off on Sunday but I hope to be in the last couple of groups, maybe going down the fourth fairway or something like that.

"My communication with Nick has been pretty good so I am sure he will tell me when he's made the decision. It could be distracting but I think I always want to know.

"I'm a guy who looks at scoreboards," added the eight-times European Tour winner. "I like to know what to do, what I've got to do and I don't think finding out will affect my game."