The pair had become friends when Stenson lived in Dubai.
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“But I really feel good now”. “He had been battling cancer for many years. Mike, this one’s for you”. Stenson made a decisive approach with a four-iron from 221 yards away and superbly got his ball to within 8 feet for another birdie. In good days and bad days, he has always sent me messages and been out at some events.
Stenson recovered from dropping a shot at the par-four first by recording five birdies before the turn and also recording a birdie at the 10th.
NOTEWORTHY: This was the third time a major championship yielded two rounds of 63 for the week with Mickelson (first round) and Stenson (final round).
“I felt like this was going to be my time”, he said.
As for me, it was a week that has to be shrugged aside, a few lessons learnt for the future and time to get ready for PGA Championships and then the Rio Olympics.
He added: “Right now I’m running on adrenaline, but there will be some point when I’ll struggle to make it up the stairs when I get back to the house, I’m sure”.
I was not lucky enough to be around when Johnny Miller won the US Open that day, so it’s hard to know if his 63 was “better” than Stenson’s. Cult figure Johnston emerged as one of golf’s most colourful new characters over the week and the game can only benefit. With or without a major I would have been very proud with what I’ve accomplished.
He gave Sweden a long-awaited major in men’s golf, 19 years after Jesper Parnevik lost a 54-hole lead at Royal Troon.
Stenson will rise to No5 when the world rankings are published on Monday.
“Yes, we’re only just getting started, aren’t we?”
By now he should know the answer, because it has happened a lot. It’s going to be a while to have all of this sink in.
There are other maiden major victories that stand out in my mind.
Is it possible for the PGA Championship, to be played next week at Baltusrol, to be as lucky as the British Open was Sunday with its wall-to-wall drama? After rounds of 63, 69, 70 and 65 the American admitted to having bittersweet emotions. I thought we played great and had a wonderful match. I’ve known him for many years.
Mickelson, a five-time major champion who won the 2013 Open, stayed mostly shot for shot with Stenson until the end, his bogey-free 65 not enough. “I’m glad he did it for him”.
“I was hoping for something in the mid-60s”. Gerbich and Henrik Stenson used to play golf together.
“I’m very excited with the work that I’ve put in … the way I was able to hit fairways easily coming down the stretch and hit my iron shots right on line”, he said.
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“There’s been many great players from my country who have tried in past years and decades and there’s been a couple of really close calls”.
