“Right now I’m running on adrenaline”.
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It was the second time that Mickelson posted the lowest score in any major, only for someone else to go lower. He can’t look back at a mistake because he really didn’t make any.
Mickelson began the day trailing Stenson by one shot. “We played some great golf and I’m delighted to come out on top”. He became only the second player in history to shoot a final-round 63 in a major after Johnny Miller, who did so in the final round of the 1973 U.S. Open at Oakmont to also win his maiden major title. “He’s such a good player he’s got the short game only matched by a few – Seve Ballesteros comes to mind. I got beat by 10 birdies”. Even so, he made 10 birdies amid relentless pressure of trying to win his first major. Stenson started the final round with a one-shot lead over Mickelson, and knew it would be a two-man race from the opening hole when Mickelson almost holed out from the fairway.
The last birdie was for the record book.
Newly-crowned Open champion Henrik Stenson has dedicated his Claret Jug to a close friend who passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer on the eve of the tournament.
Sweden’s first victor of a men’s major is the fifth pupil from Cowen’s stable to win one of the game’s big prizes, after Graeme McDowell (US Open) and Louis Oosthuizen (Open) in 2010, Darren Clarke (Open) the following year and Sheffield’s Danny Willett (Masters) in April. “I felt”, he said, “Like this was going to be my turn”.
I can hear the cries of “it’s just golf” out there and to each their own, I suppose, but this was athletes doing fantastic things in the context of their sport and it was a special event. I feel very privileged to be the one to hold this trophy.
In 1977, Tom Watson outlasted Jack Nicklaus with a 65 in the final round to Nicklaus’ 66. Mickelson made six birdies against no bogeys for a 65.
“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”, Mickelson said.
“I think the win in Germany I had a couple weeks ago was huge to get one over the finish line”.
“I’m just happy to be part of it. I am disappointed that it was at my expense”.
Both shot 65 in the third round and shared the lead.
Should he have won more majors?
There was a wobble when he missed a par putt at the hard 11th hole but remarkably he produced three straight birdies from the 14th to put the outcome beyond doubt. Over those 36 holes, they were tied after 15, Stenson led after 13 of them and Mickelson led after eight of them.
Tiger Woods isn’t the only player chasing Jack Nicklaus in the majors.
For Royal Troon, he obliterated the American Justin Leonard’s record 12-under winning total in 1997.
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The golf world was good to the 40 and over crowd at The Open this past weekend at Royal Troon.
