Henrik Stenson will take a one-stroke lead to the final day of the British Open.
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As a result, the American handed his rival the initiative and gave himself work to do as he attempts to become the oldest victor of the Claret Jug since Tom Morris Senior down the road at Prestwick back in 1867.
Mickelson had seen his one-shot lead at Royal Troon quickly overturned despite making a birdie on the third, playing partner Stenson picking up shots on three of the first four holes.
His 3-under 68 bettered Mickelson’s -1 70 as Stenson now leads after the third round by a total score of 12-under. It was less a conclusion of their head-to-head pairing than an adjournment.
“He’s one of the best to play the game in the last 15, 20 years and it’s going to be a tough match”. But to do so, he will need to outlast an all-time great who is putting on a vintage performance.
“Unless someone goes out there and posts a silly number”, Stenson said. The sun will come up on Monday.
Then, with just a hint of a pause, he deadpanned, “Maybe not in Scotland, but in other parts of the world”. At 11 under now, the 46-year-old first and second round leader is looking for his first win since the 2013 Open. The South Korean player won the season opener in the Bahamas for her third career title. What he won’t have is the benefit of the lead. Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark reached 8 under par until a double bogey from thick grass on the 10th, and three more bogeys over the next four holes.
“I’ll get it reshafted tonight and all will be well in the morning”, said the Northern Irishman at the end of his two-over-par 73. It could have been a day that got away from me, instead I shot under par and kept myself right in it so I’m proud of that.
Throughout this week, Mickelson has appeared wholly unburdened by what he is trying to accomplish. I made a 35-footer for par to stay in the game.
Mickelson dismissed the notion that Sunday would be a straight head-to-head, although Stenson suggested he would have one eye on the American, one on the course.
He survived terrible tee shots at the extremely tough 11th and 12th holes to rescue a pair of par-fours, but bogeyed the same 14th and 17th holes where Stenson flourished.
Mickelson hadn’t dropped a shot all day until he missed an apparently simple par putt at the short 14th to go back to one-under for the day and 11-under for the championship. They were still some six hours from teeing off. “I still hit a good shot to advance it down the fairway like I did, and found a way to get up and down”.
Mickelson didn’t swing as well as the first two days.
Some days it’s easy and it looks pretty like the first couple. Mickelson sits just one shot back.
It is the first time Stenson has led a major after three rounds.
By then, it was clear that one way or another, the duel between Mickelson and Stenson would continue into Sunday, with a comfortable distance between them and the rest of the field.
Bill Haas, 34, who won the FedExCup in 2011 but has never enjoyed much success across the pond, signed for a 69 and is at 6 under.
Rory McIlroy let out some frustration on the 16th hole at Royal Troon, where he is enduring an indifferent British Open, and his three-wood caught the brunt of it.
There isn’t another major title victor within eight strokes of Mickelson.
The final round of play concludes on Sunday, with a champion being crowned. To add fuel to the fire, this matchup had serious Ryder Cup vibes on Saturday afternoon that will only heat up in front of the European fans as the championship comes down to the wire.
“There’s only one thing that matters tomorrow”, Stenson said.
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“I actually felt like I played ok on the back nine and held it together quite well”.
