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Golf-Spieth misses Barclays cut, loses top ranking to McIlroy

By Larry Fine EDISON, New Jersey, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Masters and U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth's initial reign as world number one ended after two weeks when the 22-year-old American missed the cut at The Barclays on Friday. Spieth added a three-over 73 that included a one-stroke penalty for stepping on his ball in a hazard to his opening 74 to finish five shots from the cut, which was set at two over par at Plainfield Country Club. "Yeah, tough week. I'm definitely searching for answers," said Spieth, who will next play at the Sept. 4-7 Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston, the second stop of the four-event, season-ending series. "I don't know exactly what I'm going to do from here as far as how I get prepared for next week, but I have some time to figure it out. We don't start until Friday." As for losing his number one ranking, a career goal of his, in such a short time, Spieth said: "I've reached that peak already and I know it's going to be close enough to where if I just get the job done next week, I'll be back in that ranking. "But again, that ranking, it's great once you reach it but it's not something that I'm going to live or die on each week." McIlroy was not competing in The Barclays, deciding instead to rest and strengthen the injured ankle that kept him from trying to defend his British Open title last month. "It doesn't really make much of a difference," added Spieth, who did not seem particularly deflated. "In my mind, it's just about trying to win the FedExCup at this point," added Spieth, who entered The Barclays ranked first in the FedExCup points list that rewards the leader after the climactic Tour Championship a prize of $10 million. "Billy Horschel won the FedExCup after missing the cut in the first event last year and I'm in a better position to win the FedExCup than he was at the time." (Editing by Frank Pingue)