Another birdie from similar distance on the next then restored Stenson’s overnight advantage, only for Mickelson to hole from eight feet for an eagle on the fourth.
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Stenson held off a furious push from 46-year-old Phil Mickelson, who shot a superb round of -6 (65) to stay in contention, but Stenson and his putter were just too much for Mickelson down the stretch. Stenson matched his birdie with an up-and-down from deep rough, and he was on his way.
It’s a deserved capper for a really remarkable week of golf for Stenson.
Stenson restored his one-shot lead at the Postage Stamp eighth hole, rattling in an 18-footer to go 16-under before both players made birdies at the 10th.
“It was one of the best rounds I’ve ever played…and yet I want to shed a tear right now”, Mickelson said in a press conference. “I’m sorry that it came at my expense”.
“I knew I was going to have to battle back, but I think that was the extra self-belief that made me go all the way this week”.
“I’ll try to look at the positives and take that into Baltusrol and keep my game sharp over the next week or two as opposed to going home and taking some time off”, he said.
The leading pair’s combined round of 14-under par was a real sight to behold and provided fans with an Open Championship which will be remembered for years to come. “It could have been a day that got away from me, so I’m proud of that”.
“I played what I feel was well enough to win this championship by a number of strokes and yet I got beat by three”.
“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’m happy that he did.
The Swede won his first major in his 42nd attempt, becoming only the ninth player to capture his first major after turning 40. Beyond the score, the measure of his performance was that he putted for a birdie on every hole Sunday in a mild wind off the Irish Sea.
But Stenson shrugged off that setback and birdied the next three holes in a row. He also ended a streak of six American winners at Royal Troon that dated to 1950.
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With the win, Stenson became the first golfer from Sweden to win a major golf tournament. The PGA Championship starts a week from Thursday.
