The resulting birdie took Mickelson to the top of the leaderboard and he nearly chipped in for another on the second, but it was Stenson who found the bottom of the cup from 15 feet to draw level.
Advertisement
Stenson shot a blistering 63 for a major record-equaling total of 20 under par as he edged the 46-year-old Mickelson by three shots on a scintillating final day of the British Open in Scotland.
The 40-year-old was looking to become Sweden’s first male major champion, while the 46-year-old Mickelson – who has not won a tournament since beating Stenson into second place at Muirfield three years ago – would be the fourth oldest victor of any major and the oldest in the Open since 1867.
From an age perspective, their duel in the final pairing, a continuation of their shared round on Saturday, was that rarest of things: A showdown for a major championship by two golfers older than 40.
That took him to two-over for the championship but it was a first under-par round at a major for him in 11 attempts.
He got beat by arguably the best final round in 156 years of major championships. “I’ve worked hard these first three days to put myself in this situation and I’m going to try my hardest tomorrow to finish the job”. The 1861 Open was played in September.
Phil Mickelson of the United States, right, shakes hands with Henrik Stenson of Sweden, on the 18th g … “But either way, I shot three rounds under par”. He was one of only 13 players to break par on a day of intermittent showers and gusts of up to 30 miles per hour off the Irish Sea.
Mickelson’s approach to the green then span back around 15 feet and caught a down slope which took it closer to the hole, from where he holed for the most unlikely of pars. “I know (Mickelson is) not going to back down, and I’m certainly going to try to not back down, either”.
“The game of golf comes and goes”, said Mickelson, who has won five majors. “I just feel like good shots really get rewarded here more so than other links courses that I’ve played”.
Rory McIlroy went out in 32, and after a couple of dropped shots on the brutal 11th and 12th holes made a birdie on 18 to get back to -3 for the day and the tournament. Baddeley shot a 64, chipping in on the par-4 18th for his third straight birdie.
And at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where he led by two after rounds of 68, 65 and 66, he shot a closing 72, missing a five-foot putt on the 72nd hole to lose by one. A number of top players who have pulled out of the Games have cited the virus, which is linked to microcephaly – small heads – in babies, as their reason for not going. I dreamed about standing there with the Claret Jug and now it’s finally come true.
It looks like there could be some low scores before the day is done.
“I’ve always been of the thought that it’s better to be one ahead than one behind”, Stenson said, “because that means Phil’s got to play better than I do”.
“I felt like it was my time”, said the 40-year-old, who admitted time was running out after seven top-four major finishes.
If he does triumph, Stenson will also become the first Scandinavian man ever to win a major and the first player from continental Europe to lift the Claret Jug since the late, great Seve Ballesteros of Spain in 1988.
Spieth hopes to build on that momentum at the PGA Championship in two weeks.
Advertisement
“I was up there at Muirfield when Phil was a deserved victor but there’s always revenge”.
