Swedish golfer Henrik Stenson could not be stopped in the final round of The Open Championship at the Royal Troons in Scotland.
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Stenson entered Sunday with a one stroke lead over Lefty and a commanding lead over the rest of the field.
Stenson claimed the claret jug, a major champion for the first time at age 40. Stenson was simply better, converting birdies on four of his last five holes to defeat Mickelson by three strokes.
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.
Like he did all day long, Stenson drained it.
Phil Mickelson of the United States watched by Henrik Stenson of Sweden play his tee shot on the 8th during the final round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland, Sunday, July 17, 2016.
They matched birdies and improbable par saves. This is where I stopped trying to overpower the golf course, where I kind of accepted playing it as it’s designed, if you will, and not trying to find a new, better way to beat the course other than just straightforward golf.
After a pair of birdies at third, the Swede hit the front at the fourth with his third birdie, although he would give it back two holes later with a three-putt from just off the sixth green.
Not since the legendary “Duel in the Sun” waged by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson at Turnberry in 1977 has golf’s oldest and most prestigious championship seen a final day quite like this one.
Stenson answered with a 5-iron to 6 feet for birdie on the next hole to tie for the lead when Mickelson three-putted, only his third bogey of the week.
When he followed that up with a monster birdie putt from off the 15th green, there were two shots between the leaders for the first time.
Mickelson came within a hair’s breadth of shooting a 62 on the opening day to set the record low for a major championship. Stenson’s ball-striking was unreal, hitting 16-of-18 greens in regulation, and his putter was scorching hot as he needed only 27 putts to get around Royal Troon. He made four birdies on the front side to briefly climb onto the leaderboard, only to take four bogeys on the back to finish with an even-par 71 and a 1-over 214 for the tournament.
This was all about Stenson and Mickelson, two powerful players with different styles and different credentials, mainly the number of majors. This wasn’t another Winged Foot, where his silly decision to go with a driver off the tee at the 72nd hole cost him the U.S. Open in 2007.
The 40-year-old Swede has never won a major despite several near misses in his career but he put himself in pole position with a superb 68 in blustery conditions on Saturday.
“I just wish I’d got off to a better start which would have given me more of a cushion going into the back nine”.
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Rory McIlroy finished his round with only 13 clubs after he threw his 3-wood to the ground in disgust and broke off the head at the 16th hole. “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”.
