ATLANTA -- Jordan Spieth is up for a challenge, but not this kind.He started his round Thursday on the first hole at East Lake Golf Club with a bogey. Then just to show it wasnt a fluke, he made a double-bogey at the second hole.Two holes into the season-ending Tour Championship, and the defending champion was 3 over par.No, no small part of it, he said after rebounding to shoot 2-under-par 68. I like being in the position after Saturday of last year, being in the last [group]. Thats obviously the position we want to be in.Spieth didnt quite get there, but he did well to rebound from a rough start to find himself just 2 strokes off the lead held by Dustin Johnson, Kevin Chappell and Hideki Matsuyama.Like Spieth, Rory McIlroy also did well to get himself back in the mix. After birdeing three straight holes on the front nine, McIlroy made back-to-back double-bogeys at the seventh and eighth holes. He shot 31 on the back side for a 68 and a seventh-place tie with Spieth, Paul Casey and Justin Thomas.Its easy to sort of remind yourself theres such a long way to go; 72-hole tournaments are long, McIlroy said. A lot of things can happen. A lot of holes to play. I was 4 over through three when I won in Boston [at the Deutsche Bank Championship] a couple of weeks ago.So I just have to look back at that and realize how much can change over the course of a few days.Both Spieth, ranked fourth in the world, and McIlroy, ranked third, have plenty to prove this week.With the Ryder Cup looming next week in Minnesota, they are looking to get or keep their game sharp. But as it pertains to the Tour Championship, there is a good bit at stake.Both players came into the tournament outside of the top five in the re-set FedEx Cup points, meaning a victory will not assure them of the FedEx Cup. Spieth took the honor last year; McIlroy, despite incredible seasons in both 2012 and 2014, has never won the PGA Tours season-long honor.I look at what Rory did at Deutsche Bank, Spieth said about his turnaround. He was 3 over through four holes and ends up winning by a couple of shots at 18 under. I feel if I play really solid golf here -- and it doesnt have to be perfect golf -- I can shoot 8 under on this golf course. I have no doubt. It fits me really well. I feel like I have an advantage here. I knew if we could get it back to even par and in the red for the day after the first two holes, that would be really special and wed still have a chance to win.Spieth has a bit of a chip on his shoulder, as he has had to fight the perception that this has been a down year after winning five times -- including two majors and the Tour Championship -- in 2015.His victories at Kapalua and the Colonial are certainly nothing to be ashamed of, but Spieth has mostly been on the outside looking in over the past few months. Still, a victory here would be a huge boost, and all of a sudden, three wins and the Tour Championship looks quite strong.For McIlroy, there have been two worldwide wins, the latest a few weeks ago in the playoffs, his first on the PGA Tour in more than a year.When I get it going, I can really run with it, and then when it goes the other way, I sort of struggle to get out of it a little bit, McIlroy said. But I think thats just the nature of the way my game is right now and sort of the way it has been for most of the year.But I think Im seeing more good in it, which is great, and Im holing some putts, and Im making birdies. As long as I can continue to do that, try to just cut out some of the other stuff, and I should be OK. Malik Monk Jersey .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. Muggsy Bogues Jersey . The deal is pending a physical, assistant general manager Bobby Evans said. Traded from Seattle to Baltimore on Aug. 30, Morse also can play first base and right field to give manager Bruce Bochy some flexibility in writing his lineup. http://www.hornetsteamproshop.com/Cheap-Dell-Curry-Hornets-Jersey/ . -- Peyton Manning will have all of his wide receivers available for the first time in a month when the Denver Broncos begin their playoff run Jan. Dell Curry Jersey . 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Wests Tigers players insist a recent virus that caused skipper Aaron Woods and veteran Dene Halatau to be quarantined hasnt hampered preparations for Sundays NRL showdown.The Tigers need eighth-placed Gold Coast to lose to North Queensland on Saturday night, and then defeat Canberra at Leichhardt Oval the following day to steal the Titans finals spot.But their build-up has been rocked by a virus that ruled out Kyle Lovett from last weeks win over the Warriors, and left Woods and Halatau bed-ridden early this week.Its not ideal, but at the end of the day, weve got plenty of guys here that can fill in, second-rower Chris Lawrence said on Thursday.These guys, particularly the ones away, are senior guys. They know what their role is and what they have to do. Im sure theyll be here ready to go for the captains run on Saturday.Canberra will also be avid watchers of Saturdays Melbourne-Cronulla game, with a Sharks loss opening the door for the Raiders to jag a home qualifying final.From there the Tigers will turn into Cowboys supporters for the game iin Townsville, where a Titans win would finalise this years top eight and render the Leichhardt clash a dead rubber.ddddddddddddSpeculation abounds that if Cronulla win, Canberra coach Ricky Stuart will rest some of his players carrying niggling injuries ahead of next weeks finals series.To be honest, I hope they dont because thats what you play footy for, to come up against the best teams and challenge yourself, Lawrence said.If we do make the finals, were going to have to play those types of teams anyway. If we cant be competitive with a full strength team, then we dont really deserve to be in the finals.Should their cards fall correctly, a near-capacity crowd is then expected at their spiritual ground in Leichhardt, where they stunned defending premiers the Cowboys just three weeks ago.It was a pretty important game for us to win back then. And this one is just as, if not more, important, Lawrence said.AAP me/wk ' ' '