Stenson leads Mickelson by a one stroke through 54 holes after a two-shot swing on the 17th hole Saturday at Royal Troon Golf Club in South Ayrshire, Scotland.
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Henrik Stenson’s win at Royal Troon to etch his name on the claret jug also comes with many more mentions of his name in the history books.
The 40-year-old from Sweden held off Phil Mickelson to win the British Open on Sunday, capturing the first major title of his career and for a man from his home country.
After a pair of birdies at third, the Swede hit the front at the fourth with his third birdie, although he would give it back two holes later with a three-putt from just off the sixth green. “I just wish I had gotten off to a better start”.
The rest of the field? “I knew that he would ultimately come through and win”.
“I feel like if I have to get one in the fairway, I’ve got a club and a shot that I could do fairly easily and consistently, and that has led to me playing well in the elements today and hopefully in the winds that we’ll have tomorrow, being able to keep the ball down and get it the ground”.
The 40-year-old produced a staggering display to record 10 birdies and two bogeys to beat the Open record of 19 under set by Tiger Woods in 2000, as well as firing only the second 63 in the final round of a major by the eventual victor after Johnny Miller in the 1973 US Open at Oakmont.
Just before walking to the first tee, Mickelson and Stenson met on the practice green next to the Royal Troon clubhouse.
No one older than 48 has ever captured a major.
Swede Stenson had bogeyed the first but birdied the next three holes and picked up further shots at the long sixth and the short eighth, the Postage Stamp. J.B. Holmes is holding down third place, a staggering nine shots off Stenson’s 16-under at the top of the leaderboard. He was seeking his first victory since winning the Claret Jug in the 2013 British Open at Muirfield. He reclaimed the lead when Mickelson missed a 6-foot birdie try. “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”. I had to get the head re-glued.
“It’s not something you want to run around and shout, but I felt like this was going to be my turn”, Stenson said.
From there he lashed an iron into the heart of green and holed the putt for a new Open record score of 20 under and record low total of 264 after a record-equalling score of eight-under 63 in the final round.
He also has some recent history going for him – he’s broken par on the back nine in all three rounds at Troon, where the final nine is considered more hard than the first.
Mickelson, 46, has won five majors to Stenson’s none.
It was arguably the greatest, most dramatic Open showdown and shoot-out since the famous Watson-Nicklaus Duel in the Sun almost 40 years ago.
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There was yet more drama when Mickelson had an angry exchange with a photographer after finding sand with his approach at the final hole.
