In his mind, those were U.S. Open titles he frittered away.
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His effort featured 10 birdies and took him to a 20-under total to finally win his first major by a three-stroke margin with the lowest overall score in Open history.
The two-man duel was scintillating stuff, a back-and-forth match that will go down as among the greatest in history.
Mickelson then rolled in three nerve-tingling putts at the 10th, 11th and 12th to keep in front before ramming in a 25-foot birdie effort at the 13th to go two clear.
Stenson became only the fourth player to win the British Open with all four rounds in the 60s, joining Tiger Woods, Nick Price and Greg Norman.
“I lost a dear friend on Wednesday morning in the States from cancer and I feel like he has been with me all week, Mike this one is for you”.
“I think I’ve been saying all week that you need to get off to a good start on this golf course, and you need to be under par early, and I wasn’t able to do that”, the 2014 champion admitted. “But at the same time I’ve worked hard, I’ve put myself in a great spot”. “Played close to flawless golf and was beat”.
“I know I’ll have to bring my best”.
The popular Johnston, inspired by the fans crying out his nickname “Beef, Beef” at nearly every hole, ended up on 208, one ahead of American JB Holmes (69).
The putts continued to go in at the sixth, Mickelson coaxing in his effort from 10 feet before Stenson matched him from four feet. After bogeying the first hole, Stenson birdied five out of his next seven holes.
“I had about a 40-, 45-footer on 15 and I’m thinking I’ve got to make that”, Mickelson said.
The 40-year-old Swede fired an 8-under 63 and outdueled Phil Mickelson in the final round at Royal Troon to capture the 2016 British Open Championship. Moreover, he showed a resolve that he’d never tapped into this deeply.
“I knew he wasn’t going to back down at any point”, said Stenson, whose 20-under 264 beat the scoring mark of 265 that David Toms set at the 2001 PGA Championship and was three shots better than anyone had ever shot in the Open.
And like Day, Spieth picked up four shots going out before giving them all back coming home to be five over and out following his third-round 72.
While Stenson and Mickelson are fighting for first place, the field has tremendously failed to catch up with them. “I know I wanted to be more of Tom in that case than Jack”.
Stenson turned a one-shot overnight deficit into an identical advantage following a rollercoaster day which saw the final group separate themselves from the chasing pack and Rory McIlroy’s patience snap – along with his three wood.
Both Stenson and Mickelson played stellar golf, combining for an eagle, 14 birdies and two bogeys in the final pairing.
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An historic 62 was even on the cards after a superb tee shot on the 17th, but after missing the birdie attempt there, Stenson made no such mistake on the 18th to bring a fitting end to an astonishing day. It stayed that way until Stenson made an 18-foot birdie putt at 14.
