Jordan Spieth has rejected any talk of a rivalry between himself and Dustin Johnson as the American duo battle for supremacy at the top of the world rankings.
Johnson sits at the summit ahead of Spieth, who claimed his third major championship with victory at The Open in July.
And it was Johnson who had the upper hand at The Northern Trust last weekend, beating Spieth in a play-off at Glen Oaks Club. Both Johnson and Spieth started their bid for glory at the Dell Technologies Championship on Thursday.
Ahead of the PGA Tour event Spieth, when asked if he considered Johnson to be his chief rival, said: "I think there's still a very-much-alive [PGA] Player of the Year race this year.
"I think it's four guys in my opinion, with Justin Thomas and myself and Dustin and Hideki [Matsuyama]. So the race is alive. It kind of depends on who wins the FedExCup out of the bunch, probably takes that prize.
"So as far as a rivalry, me and Dustin, no, I don't think there is one. I think here and there you get these questions asked about rivalries and I've been asked about five different players if I have a rivalry with them.
"So obviously there isn't a rivalry going on. It's always a 'what has happened recently?' that creates this 'maybe it's a rivalry?' scenario.
"Dustin has played better golf than anybody over the last two years. That's why he's number one in the world. It's pole position that I'm envious of and would like to get back to and would like to work hard to do what I can in the next few weeks to do so.
"As far as it just being him, we have a great relationship. I mean, I texted him that evening [after The Northern Trust] saying, 'Man, congrats, that was a good battle, let's do it again next week'. He said: 'Absolutely. I had a good time. That was my turn'.
"We understand the battles we have with each other. It's no rivalry. It becomes a stressful fun, if that makes any sense, right. Your heart's beating faster and your adrenaline is rushing and you're trying to win a PGA Tour play-off, a FedExCup Playoff event.
"But at the same time, it is exciting to be in a one-on-one-type situation. The Open Championship, the last week I was in that, it is fun being in that position, almost like creating a match-play scenario out of a big tour event or a major.
"It's just everybody starts to come to your group and you just start feeling this energy and it's really cool."
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