This head-to-head matchup will surely be remembered alongside the “Duel in the Sun” at Turnberry between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus in 1977.
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Phil Mickelson has admitted to feeling “disappointed” at finishing second to Henrik Stenson at The Open after carding an impressive score at Royal Troon.
Mickelson narrowly missed an eagle putt on the 16th hole, and Stenson kept his 2-shot lead with an up-and-down for birdie from the deep rough.
Stenson leads Mickelson by a one stroke through 54 holes after a two-shot swing on the 17th hole Saturday at Royal Troon Golf Club in South Ayrshire, Scotland. With Stenson at 12 under par and Mickelson at 11, there’s a gaping gap of five shots before one gets to Bill Haas, and six to Andrew Johnston, a hefty Englishman known as “Beef” and appearing in the third major tournament of his 26-year life.
One such effort was his birdie putt at the 18th on Thursday that just refused to drop, agonisingly denying him the first ever round of 62 in a major. “I knew that he would ultimately come through and win”. The margin has never been more than one stroke, and they’ve been tied much of the way.
Francesco Molinari of Italy acknowledges the crowd after putting on the 2nd green during the final round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland, Sunday, July 17, 2016. Stenson said Parnevik send him a message that said, “Go out and finish what I didn’t manage to finish”.
That lead stretched to two shots for Mickelson at the 13th, as the American threatened to start running away with it.
“I’ve been hitting it so good for so long, that I just think one day is an anomaly”, he said. As such, he’s the first player to have ever shot 63 in the final round of the British Open. Lefty had a 16-footer for birdie at the 18th in his opening round. It also means Stenson will now sit atop a major championship leaderboard going into the final round for the first time in his career. The likelihood of gusting winds on Sunday afternoon diminishes prospects of the latter.
Mickelson-Stenson was the main event from the time they teed off.
McIlroy has form for throwing his clubs, having launched his three iron into a lake at Doral during the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March past year – for which he told Press Association Sport he was fined €4,400, having escaped a greater sanction after apologising.
The resulting birdie took Mickelson to the top of the leaderboard and he nearly chipped in for another on the second, but it was Stenson who found the bottom of the cup from 15 feet to draw level.
“I’m happy with the way I played, but even more disappointed that it wasn’t enough because you look back and say, what do I need to do?”
Mickelson then rolled in three nerve-tingling putts at the 10th, 11th and 12th to stay in front before ramming in a 25-foot birdie effort at the 13th to go two clear. Like Day, this was also Stenson’s first major win. “Henrik is playing really good golf and I’m going to have to go and shoot a good number”. He said, ‘Wake up, we’re T-69.’ I said, ‘Wise up. Mickelson spoke earlier in the week about not having as much pressure knowing he already has won a British Open.
“I didn’t know until they told me in the recorder’s hut”, Stenson said when asked if he knew that last putt was for 63.
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Spieth hopes to build on that momentum at the PGA Championship in two weeks.
