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TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

September 22, 2016

Jordan Spieth

Atlanta, Georgia

Q. Any small part of you enjoy being 3 over after two, the challenge of it?
JORDAN SPIETH: No, no small part for any challenge of it either. I liked being in the position after Saturday of last year, being in the lead. So that's obviously the position we want to be in.

At the same time, if you're going to have a really poor stretch of holes, if it's the first two holes of the tournament, that's probably the best time for it to happen. I told Michael after that, Mike, I'm not making one more bogey after that for the next 70 holes. Unfortunately, I did on 5, but drew a really tough lie there. Otherwise, I would have been fine.

Just a couple of mental mistakes early just getting started. I don't know why. I played a jumper on the second shot on the first hole, and it didn't jump. It ended up in a tough spot. And then a really poor swing with a 5 iron. But great rebounding. I putted the ball beautifully today. Made a lot of putts from over 15 feet, which is nice.

I did a lot of that last year. I've done a lot of that this year, but in the past couple months, I haven't. I was starting to see these lines and seeing the arcs of the putts from midrange and hitting them with the right speed, most importantly.

So we climbed back, still in this thing.

Q. What do you feel that you did that made the difference?
JORDAN SPIETH: Like I said before, that difference -- that feeling will kind of come out on Saturday and Sunday. When you're really trying to close those rounds to get yourself into a good position towards the top of the leaderboard, I think that's when. Right now it's just the same 18 holes, the same feelings. I'm pleased that the last three holes can yield three birdies. In the past, it was hold on, you kind of got your birdie holes out of the way.

Didn't make much of a difference, but I think it's a good change.

Q. Jordan, can you describe your emotions after that tough start.
JORDAN SPIETH: I was not happy.

Q. How do you use that energy to turn it around?
JORDAN SPIETH: You know, I look at what Rory did at the Deutsche Bank. He was, what, 3 over through the first four holes maybe, and he ends up winning by a couple of shots at 18 under. This is a course I feel very comfortable on. I feel, if I play really solid golf here -- and it doesn't have to be perfect golf. If I play really solid golf, I can shoot 8 under on this golf course. I have no doubt. It fits me really well. I feel comfortable on the greens.

I feel like I have an advantage here. I don't feel that way at very many places. I feel like you have to work hard to gain an advantage. Here, I feel like we have a natural advantage, no matter what it may be. I knew, if we could get it back to even par in the red for the day after the first two holes, that would be really special, and we'd still have a chance to win because, any time you get somewhere around double digits, you seem to have a chance to win this week. I don't think this course is any harder than other tournaments where it's 18 over.

Maybe it's the fact that it's only 30 guys or the Bermuda rough being kind of nasty off the tee boxes, but whatever it is, scores don't end up being that low. That's good news that I'm thinking that way.

Q. When you say you can have a solid day and shoot 8 under out here, is today's 2 under round disappointing?
JORDAN SPIETH: I was very disappointed with the way I struck the ball. I felt very uncomfortable with the golf ball today. I've been feeling very comfortable. It just started out with the tee shot I hit on the 2nd hole today, that 5 iron I hit 35-some-odd yards to the right where I didn't feel like I even put a bad swing on it. It just leaves you questioning things, even off one swing.

So that kind of continued for a couple holes and just never really felt that comfortable. My wedge play and chipping were very off when they should have been dialed in. It was just an off day tee to green and a very on day on the greens.

I'm looking for a little stress off my putter for the rest of the week.

Q. Where the top five guys are, see where they're at?
JORDAN SPIETH: Maybe Sunday. Again, that's just a subplot for me. Win this golf tournament, and you're going to end up getting in the 2 spot. I expect Dustin or Patrick to be up there. So I expect the best I could do is maybe finish second in the FedExCup, and there's a nice bonus that comes with that as well as winning the TOUR Championship again.

My expectation is that they're going to play well. I want them to be playing well for next week, and if I happen to win and they somehow just barely miss out, then even luckier for us.

I may look at it on Sunday, but it won't affect the way I'm playing whatsoever because there's nothing I can do. I can't control it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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