That gave the 40-year-old Swede his first lead in a major, even if it was just one shot over someone who already has five majors and his name on the claret jug. The lie was OK, he chipped out sideways and nearly matched the birdie of Stenson, which dropped Mickelson out of the lead for the first time since his 14th hole on Thursday.
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Stenson won by three shots over Mickelson, who played bogey-free for a 65 and posted a score that would have won all but two Opens over more than a century on the links.
Stenson, who has recorded seven top-four finishes in majors, rolled in his sixth birdie in the space of nine holes on the 10th, but Mickelson crucially followed him in from eight feet.
For the third hole running the leaderboard changed as Stenson regained an advantage, picking up another stroke and watching on as Mickelson missed his birdie attempt.
Mickelson, 46, hoping to become the oldest victor of the tournament in the modern era, recorded a 70 for 202.
Stenson’s major championship breakthrough was long overdue and well-deserved for a player of his caliber as he will break into the Top 5 of the World Golf Rankings. On the tournament’s 72nd and final hole, Stenson did what he did with machine-like consistency all week.
“It’s not something you want to run around and shout, but I felt like this was going to be my turn”, Stenson said.
The crowd weren’t bothered by his late slump, however, giving the magnificently laid-back 27-year-old a standing ovation as he grinned and bounced his way down the 18th.
Stenson tied it up with a birdie of his own at the second hole, rolling in a 15-foot putt. It’s his highest position ever in a major, yet he was six shots off the lead.
“I played well enough to win by a number of strokes and got beat”, Mickelson is quoted as saying by BBC Sport.
The pair stomped the rest of the field, with J.B. Holmes finishing third at 278, a whopping 14 shots behind Stenson.
Stenson and Mickelson were never separated by more than two shots over 40 straight holes until the Swede’s final birdie.
Stenson took home the title on Sunday, keeping the lead he had built over Mickelson the day before by scoring another historic 63 round and the lowest overall score ever (-20) at the event. The next closest golfer was six strokes back.
Mickelson almost punched right back on the 16th with an eagle – but his putt just darted outside the left lip at the last moments.
Ironically, Stenson’s record round got off to a very ordinary start.
“I’ve always thought that he is one of the best ball-strikers in the game and that major championships are perfectly suited for him”, Mickelson said.
“I know he’s not going to back down (today) and I’m certainly going to try to not back down either, so it should be an exciting afternoon”, Stenson told reporters of his thrilling head-to-head duel with Mickelson.
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Stenson figured his chances to win at 50-50.
