Henrik Stenson maintains residency atop Tour Championship leaderboard

But theres a bigger prize thats worth more than $10 million.

Henrik Stenson gets a free drop on the first fairway due to course…

Stenson, who went wire-to-wire in the Tour Championship in 2013, is at 9-under 131.

Spieth has won four titles this year including the Masters and U.S. Open for his first two majors. He was three shots behind.

For McIlroy to win the FedEx Cup he must win the Tour Championship and get help.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy was a shot back on three under alongside Zach Johnson after carding an even-par 70.

Day, the world No. 1, is in a tie for 10th, eight shots back.

“Wet, muddy, rough”, Stenson said.

Is this a repeat?

For almost two months, Jordan Spieth’s patience has been tested as he walked in step with Jason Day. On one of Jordan Spieth’s shoulders rests an imaginary people pleaser, whispering into his ear to stay humble, be polite and do right by his team and his burgeoning group of supporters.

“He’s one of the best players in the world as we know, and had a fantastic year behind him”, Stenson said of Spieth. But over the past two days, the 22-year-old Texan looked like the guy who was tough to beat in the biggest events this year. He could only chop the ball to 20ft and then promptly three-putted. We know that much.

“I just want to try and – because I played good to get there”.

“We’re fearless”, said Spieth, whose 66 yesterday left him just three shots behind leader Henrik Stenson. Perhaps there will be a round like Stenson’s opening 7-under 63.

There is no doubt that the young man’s recent performance chart dwarfs Stenson’s: Two majors this year to none ever for his elder, while Spieth leads in PGA Tour victories this season 4-0. But he has only one bogey through 36 holes.

Stenson is carrying plenty of scar-tissue – he must be wondering whether he is losing some of his bottle as a 40 birthday looms large – and the last person he needs to be facing in a final-round shootout today is Spieth. It is counterbalanced by the fiery competitor that rests on Spieth’s other shoulder, exhorting him to never back off or down, to go for the jugular. He shares third with Paul Casey (71). He began Saturday’s play at even-par (T9) and nine adrift.

Spieth made only his second bogey of the week at the 152-yard, par-3 sixth, using a 9-iron, which made his tee shot into a greenside bunker all the more galling. He was eight back.

– Rickie Fowler, one of five players who can win the FedEx Cup by winning at East Lake, had the best round on a hard day.

In his second round, McIlroy struggled to find a spark on his outward nine, with bogeys on the third and eighth, and a lone birdie on the seventh from six feet, in turning in 36.

Six players were separated by five shots.

Or maybe that should be Beast Lake, following a compelling day of action on Saturday played out in an incessant downpour that turned this course into a monster and the third round into a veritable battle of survival.