Jordan Spieth wants to ensure his stay at world No 1 isn't short-lived by starting the FedEx Cup with a strong performance at The Barclays.
Spieth returns to action for the first time since a runner-up finish at Whistling Straits a fortnight ago, which saw him overtake Rory McIlroy at the top of the world rankings.
Despite the Northern Irishman not featuring at Plainfield Country Club, Spieth would drop back to world No 2 with anything less than a tied-14th finish or better this week.
"I'd like to obviously hold [the world No 1 ranking]," Spieth told a pre-tournament press conference. "There are people, plenty of guys on the Tour right now that have held that position for longer than a week, and I'm happy to be in that position now.
"I don't know the feeling of trying to hold No 1 because now you're the one with the target and everyone else is chasing towards that position.
"The only way I think about going about it is just focusing on this week. If you win each week, you're going to stay No 1 and in my mind, the goal is to approach each tournament to try and win."
The 22-year-old features in the marquee group for the first two rounds alongside recent major winner Jason Day and world No 4 Bubba Watson, with Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson also in this week's field.
Spieth has already had a year to remember with four victories and 14 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, with the Masters and US Open champion keen to continue that form in to the season-ending play-offs.
"It's been a fantastic year and we've gone about our business the way we wanted to," Spieth added. "Last year I wore myself out a bit, as we did four straight weeks versus a week off here.
"Now the major season is over, which is where we wanted to peak, we've sat back and looked at how we can get that same kind of momentum to where we can try and peak for the Tour Championship."
Watch Jordan Spieth in action as part of the featured group coverage live on Thursday from 1.20pm on Sky Sports Xtra and on the red button on Sky Sports 4. The Barclays is live throughout the week on Sky Sports 4 – your home of golf