For the first time since its inception in 2007, only the top 70 players will qualify for week one of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

At No.81 arriving at Sedgefield Country Club, Scott would have ordinarily been well inside the top 125 cut-off but is now in danger of leaving American Matt Kuchar as the only player to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs each and every year.

Buoyed by a first round of 5-under 65, Scott burst from the blocks with birdies at each of his opening two holes.

He dropped a shot at the par-3 third but won it back three holes later with an approach from 167 yards to seven feet, duly converting his birdie chance.

Scott scrambled to a bogey after finding the water with his tee shot at the par-4 eighth and then made six straight pars, bogeys at 15 and 17 sending him tumbling down the leaderboard to a tie for 31st with a round of 1-over 71.

Needing a tie for ninth or better to advance, Scott must turn it around quickly to be any hope of pushing into the top 70 by week’s end.

Cam Davis is currently on the other side of the FedEx Cup tightrope and enhanced his chances of staying there with a round of 3-under 67.

The Sydneysider made his charge late, making three birdies in his final seven holes on Friday to move up 14 spots and into a tie for 21st, a position projected to move him up two spots from No.69 to No.67 in the standings.

Davis is seven shots back of American Russell Henley (66) who has a one-stroke buffer to Billy Horschel (62) through 36 holes.

Elsewhere around the world Scott Hend (69) is four strokes off the lead and in a tie for fourth at the Mandiri Indonesia Open on the Asian Tour, Adam Bland (67) moved up into a tie for seventh at the Yokohama Minato Championship in Japan and Rod Pampling is in a share of eighth after two rounds of The JCB Championship on the Legends Tour in England.

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