And the showdown between the two forty-somethings more than lived up to its billing as they produced an exhibition of world-class golf.
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For Mickelson, it’s an 11th runner-up finish at a major in his career. That weekend, Hubert Green finished a distant third, 10 strokes behind Nicklaus. It will go down as one of the best weekends ever in golf.
“This is what it’s all about, isn’t it”, Watson said to Nicklaus on the 16th hole when they were tied.
Stenson, who also won in Germany recently, will play in the U.S. PGA at Baltusrol in New Jersey from July 27-31 before heading to Rio for the Olympic golf event in August.
He finished 11 strokes ahead of third-placed JB Holmes yet three behind magnificent Swede Stenson.
It was like watching two prizefighters battle for the heavyweight belt.
After all the controversy about players” reluctance to play in the Olympics in the build-up to the Open, and whether they should have a responsibility to help grow the game, a man known as “Beef’ gave the sport a shot in the arm.
He would not have imagined that carding a 65 on Sunday and eventually losing by three strokes after the week he had, would have been possible.
The Swede’s response was instant and emphatic as he birdied five of the next seven holes, making a complete nonsense of gusts of up to 25mph on the windswept Ayrshire coastline. The two traded blows back and forth, dazzling with their mind-blowing shotmaking abilities.
Open victor Henrik Stenson, right, and Phil Mickelson walk off the 18th green after the final round of the 145th Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Troon Golf Club – Old Course Sunday at Troon, Ayrshire.
Except for Stenson. When it’s your time, it’s your time.
A Sunday singles match-up would be mouth-watering after the titanic Troon tussle, although Stenson is not so sure. He had a round for the ages in a pairing for the ages, which resulted in a tournament for the ages. A lot of people felt that this tournament was Mickelson’s to lose when he shot a 63 and lipped out a put on the 18th hole for a 62.
“To break The Open course record for 20 under par around Royal Troon, no-one ever thought was possible”.
And the verdict on whether it was better than the Duel in the Sun? Nicklaus didn’t waste anytime weighing in.
And Nicklaus, victor of 18 Major titles, declared: ‘Some in the media have already tried to compare this final round to 1977 at Turnberry, with Tom Watson and me in what they called the Duel in the Sun. I played a bogey-free round of 65 on the final round of a Major.
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In contrast, the so-called “Big Four” of Dustin Johnson, 32, and twenty-somethings Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy never really challenged at Troon, even if the latter ended up in a tie for fifth.
