The Swede’s Sunday 63 was not only the lowest ever shot in the final round of an Open Championship, but tied the lowest final-round score ever in a major (Johnny Miller, Oakmont, 1973 U.S. Open). If this was a better-ball match, they would have shot 59.
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Stenson, full of adrenaline on the 18th tee, hammered his tee shot 310 yards down the fairway and was mightily relieved to see it stop 12 inches short of one of Royal Troon’s fiendish pot bunkers. “You never know once you open the floodgates what might happen”, said Stenson later as he spoke to the media alongside the famous Claret Jug. It turned into the most entertaining final round I’ve ever watched. The next guy was JB Holmes at six-under, which is 11 shots behind Mickelson and 14 behind Stenson. He rectified that on Sunday and now that he has won everything – FedEX Cup, Race to Dubai and now a Major, he is likely to add more Major trophies.
“When you’re coming off a fresh win you’re always eager to get back out there and do it again”.
There’s one more major to play before Rio. You must feel sorry for Phil Mickelson.
Stenson and Mickelson obliterated the Open field, marking the third time in his last eight majors that Phil finished runner-up and posted a score normally good enough to win. Not even Nicklaus put together a streak of four straight years with the silver.
“I was just trying to birdie every hole, but it seemed like he was”.
The pair went head to head throughout a thrilling final round at Royal Troon but in the end it was Stenson who prevailed on 20 under after shooting a stunning 63.
“I felt”, he said, “Like this was going to be my turn”.
Despite missing out on a sixth major title at the age of 46, Mickelson said he could take some consolation – quite a lot of satisfaction – from how he played.
It was one of the greatest days in Major championship history and Nicklaus was full of praise for a contest that will live long in the memory.
Willett, who claimed a shock victory at the Masters in April, told Omnisport: “He’ll be feeling very good today”. “I’ve known him for many, many years and he was a very keen golfer and a great man”.
“He sent me a message, “Go out and finish what I didn’t manage to finish”, and I’m really proud to have done that, and it’s going to be massive for golf in Sweden with this win”. Stenson matched his birdie with an up-and-down from deep rough, and he was on his way. One can find other mistakes, but with the exception of Royal Troon, even the victor doesn’t hit all the right shots.
Stenson became the fourth successive first-time victor of a major, following in the footsteps of Jason Day, Danny Willett and Dustin Johnson.
Mickelson shot a bogey-free, 6-under 65, and still finished three shots behind.
Toms and Payne Stewart made par putts on him at the last hole.
So Stenson was 20-under and Mickelson was 17-under.
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?
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Mickelson doesn’t see his window closing all that quickly.
