Jordan Spieth would take Ryder Cup victory ahead of FedExCup defence
Last Updated: 21/09/16 8:15am
Tour Championship defending champion Jordan Spieth admits he would cherish a maiden Ryder Cup victory over a second FedExCup title over the next fortnight.
The world No 4 returns to East Lake for the season finale, where he claimed a four-shot victory last time around to claim FedExCup victory and the $10m bonus prize.
Victory would see Spieth become the first back-to-back Tour Champion and join Tiger Woods as the only player to have multiple FedExCup titles, although the 23-year-old admits his mind is already focusing on next week's Ryder Cup at Hazeltine.
Spieth was a rookie in the defeated United States team at Gleneagles in 2014, and the 23-year-old hopes to avoid a repeat of the "empty feeling" he experienced on the flight home from Scotland.
Speaking ahead of this week's event, Spieth said: "If you're saying 2016, right now, if I've got a choice... Ryder Cup. You want something that you don't have. That's a trophy that I've watched the other side of it now, and it hurt.
"I think I will have a Ryder Cup at some point. I think that will be easier to win, easier to have a Ryder Cup than a FedEx Cup going forward, given you may not play your best and you've got team-mates around you that play their best and win it.
"I think I'm pretty confident about how we're going to go about our business. I think we've got a fantastic team this year, one of the best teams I can remember, and I love being a part of that."
Spieth heads to Atlanta this week seventh in the FedExCup standings, meaning the outcome is out of his hands and only a third win of the season would keep him in contention of ending the year in top spot.
Solo second for Patrick Reed or a joint runner-up finish for Dustin Johnson would end Spieth's hopes, but the two-time major champion is focused on ending his season on a high.
"I can control what I can control," Spieth added. "I feel really good about where the game's at. I love coming here. Love these Bermuda greens...I don't see it often, and it's what I grew up on.
"It was a good season this season. I let a major slip away. It was tough, but I'll have more chances. I've got an opportunity now to make it still potentially one of the top couple of seasons that anyone had this year if we take care of business this week and next week."
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