ATLANTA - Rory McIlroy is perplexed that his remarks on Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson being on the last few holes of their careers caused so many headlines. Mark Duper Dolphins Jersey .McIlroy was asked on the eve of the Tour Championship whether Woods and Mickelson not being eligible for the 30-man field represented a changing of the guard. He disagreed, saying that Woods was injured most of the year and Mickelson had played well in spots but was going through a long stretch.Noting their ages (Woods is 38, Mickelson is 44) and injuries, he said they were getting into sort of the last few holes of their careers.He went on Twitter that night to explain what he was asked and what he said.I was going through Twitter last night and it was like, Hold on, did I say something bad here? I dont think I did, McIlroy said Thursday after opening with a 69. Look, I know Tiger and Phil really well. I get on really well with both guys. Ive said much worse to Tiger before.McIlroy and Woods recently made the rounds on talk shows together.McIlroy said Wednesday:Phil has played well in parts this year. He came really close to winning the PGA. I feel like hes gotten a little better as the year has went on. But its a lot of golf for him to play in such a short space of time. So you could see he was getting a little tired the last couple of weeks. And, I mean, Tigers not here just because hes been injured or he is injured. He hasnt had the opportunity to play.But I think if he gets back and when he gets back to full fitness, youll see him back here again. So Im not sure ... theyre just getting older. Phils 43 or whatever he is and Tigers nearly 40. So theyre getting into the sort of last few holes of their career. And thats what happens. You get injured. Phil has to deal with an arthritic condition as well. So it obviously just gets harder as you get older. Ill be able to tell you in 20 years how it feels.McIlroy said he didnt feel he had to defend himself, but that his tweets were to clarify his remarks.I thought I was very complimentary, he said. I said the only reason Tiger wasnt here was he didnt have the opportunity. I wasnt writing him or Phil off at all. ... I didnt say anything out of line or wrong.Asked if he felt as though he needed to explain his remarks to Woods, McIlroy smiled and said, Ive said worse to his face. Jason Taylor Youth Jersey . The Brazilian-born strikers brace drew him level with Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo as the leagues leading scorers with 17 goals apiece through 16 rounds. "The important thing is to help the team win, not the goals," Diego Costa said. After a first half dominated by defence, Atletico pressed Valencia into its area and Diego Costa did the rest. Larry Csonka Dolphins Jersey . - The Seattle Sounders busy off-season continues with the team acquiring defender Chad Marshall from the Columbus Crew in exchange for a 2015 third-round pick and allocation money. http://www.dolphinsrookiestore.com/Dolphins-Cameron-Wake-Jersey/ . -- Washingtons Bradley Beal seemed to make every shot he took in setting a career high with 37 points. HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- There were no major letdowns for Masters contenders Matt Kuchar and Jordan Spieth at the RBC Heritage on Thursday. Kuchar, who tied for fifth at Augusta National, shot a bogey-free 5-under 66 to share the first-round lead with Scott Langley and William McGirt. The 20-year-old Spieth tied for second behind Bubba Watson last Sunday and continued his strong play with a 69, part of a large group tied for fifth at Harbour Town Golf Links. Kuchar and Spieth both spent much of Sunday in the pressure cooker that is the Masters final round. But neither player allowed any lingering disappointment or fatigue from a grueling week to slow them down here. "I was anxious to get back out and play another competitive round," Spieth said. "So today was going to be kind of therapy, in a sense, from last week." Langley and McGirt each had five birdies on the front nine to match Kuchar. Harris English was two shots behind after a 68 before Spieth topped a group of 15 another stroke back. In all, 54 competitors shot par or better despite the gusts of 20 mph that swept through the course much of the round. The week after the seasons first major is generally one of rest for many of golfs big names and this years no different. Masters champ Watson took off as did Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy. World No. 1 Tiger Woods continues recuperating from back surgery that kept him from playing Augusta National for the first time in 20 years. Just six of the worlds top-20 ranked golfers teed it up this week, led by Kuchar at No. 6. Spieth, who tied with fellow Masters rookie Jonas Blixt for second last week, didnt consider withdrawing at Harbour Town, convinced of the benefits of quickly getting back to work. It was also a get-to-know-you session for Spieth, who was paired with U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson and 2012 Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III. "It was unbelievable just to be playing with them," Spieth said. For Kuchar, playing was a no-brainer considering the strong run hes been on the past month or so. He tied for fourth at the Texas Open three weeks ago and lost in a playoff at the Houston Open a week later right before the Masters. Bob Griese Womens Jersey. And Kuchar understands being focused at the Masters can mean being zoned in at Harbour Town. "Youre going to see a lot of guys, if theyre not too run down from a major championship, come out and play some pretty good golf the week following." Kuchar played with confidence and precision, avoiding the winds when possible and playing to the meatiest parts of the smallish greens. After starting on the back nine, Kuchar birdied both the par 5 holes on the front side before finishing with a birdie on his final hole, the ninth, to shoot in the 60s for the sixth time in his past 11 rounds here. "It was some awfully steady golf," he said. Langley, with his early birdie run, looked as if he might finish on top alone after a 17-foot birdie putt on the par-3 14th moved him to 6 under. But Langley wound up in the scrub along the 18th green and took bogey to fall into the three-way tie for first. Langley has missed seven cuts this season, including his past two tournaments. But he felt confident in his game and took motivation from his friend Spieths run at a green jacket last week. "Seeing Jordan do so well, almost win the Masters, inspired me a little bit," Langley said. McGirt played in the same group with Langley and matched his partner with five front-nine birdies. He chipped in on the par-3 17th to move up into the tie for first. "Scott and I were both making birdies left and right," McGirt said. "It was easy to feed off each other." DIVOTS: Nick Faldo may make his weekend TV job after all. The CBS Sports analyst opened his first RBC Heritage in eight years with a 6-over 77 to tie for next-to-last place. The 56-year-old Faldo won his first U.S. event at Harbour Town in 1984. ... Davis Love III has been the Harbour master at the RBC Heritage with five victories and a tour-best $2.63 million won here. But he missed the past two years with injuries and was back for the first time since 2011. The layoff didnt slow Love down as he opened with a 1-under 70 -- his 59th career round under par at Harbour Town. ... Tom Watson was a two-time RBC Heritage champion who hadnt played here since 2001. He shot a 4-over 75. ' ' '