Links golf can deliver some unusual finishes, though this had all the trappings of a two-man race on Sunday. He is 12 over par for the week at Royal Troon, his home club and where his father was club secretary. He is trying to become only the eighth player dating to Old Tom Morris in 1861 to win his first major after turning 40.
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“The clubhead came loose on it earlier in the week so I had to get it re-glued, so it is partly to do with that and partly the throw itself, ” said the 27-year-old, who told Press Association Sport last year his fine for launching his three iron into a lake at Doral during the WGC-Cadillac Championship was reduced from 25,000 United States dollars to 5,000 (£3,700) for apologising on TV.
As driving rain began to fall on the inward half and winds started to gust, Mickelson mixed two bogeys with a solitary birdie to make sure he claimed the clubhouse lead.
The American had six birdies, including three in a row from the 15th hole, but marred his card with double-bogey sixes at the seventh hole and the treacherous 11th hole. On Thursday, he speculated that the golf gods might have conspired to keep his putt on No. 18 for 62 out of the hole.
Everyone else felt like mere spectators.
South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel, the former Masters champion, shot a stellar five-under-par 66 featuring seven birdies to go to four-under overall heading into the weekend.
The Swede, seeking the first men’s major championship for his country, had once led and twice pulled level only to drop behind again during a cut and thrust third round in strong winds and punctuated by rainfall.
The wind and cool air was back to its prevailing direction, meaning the outward nine was playing downwind. He broke par for the third straight day with a 70.
It was unlikely to matter.
The Stenson-Mickelson pairing was essentially match play, as no other player mounted a charge. “It’s the Open championship, some draws go your way and some draws don’t”.
“I thought if I could get to five under, I’d feel really good about myself”, he told Sky Sports after his round. “I was happy enough to throw two good punches in there on the par 3s and pick up two shots on either one of them to come back out on top at the end of the third round”.
Through 36 holes, 2 under was the best score from the players teeing off early Thursday/late Friday.
“We’re only halfway done with the tournament so it’s too far off to start thinking like that, but certainly there is nothing more than I would love to add another Claret Jug”, said the 46-year-old, who would become the fourth oldest victor of any major and the oldest in the Open since 1867. The 1861 Open was held in September. As much as I am not playing or practising as much as I would like to, when I get back onto links I can manage my way around because I have grown up doing it and will be doing it for a long time. His short game, which he describes as “very strong”, is holding up as usual. No save was more unlikely than the 12th, where he pushed his tee shot toward trouble and was fortunate the ball deflected off a piece of prickly gorse.
On the 18th, Johnson’s approach shot hit the lip of the front bunker and rolled to the back of the green.
World number 19 Mickelson, who would join Lee Trevino and Nick Faldo with six major titles with victory on Sunday, said: “It’s a great opportunity and a great challenge”. “I don’t make it more important than anything else really”. Today could have been a day that got away from me. “I found a way to hang in there”. Johnson has two major championships on his resume already. For most, not named Mickelson, their experience of these two days could be summed up by Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” all in a 24-hour period.
Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen also took advantage of the calm morning conditions.
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The 11th ranks as the hardest hole so far on Saturday.
