The 40-year-old produced a staggering display to record 10 birdies and two bogeys to beat the Open record of 19 under set by Tiger Woods in 2000, as well as firing only the second 63 in the final round of a major by the eventual victor after Johnny Miller in the 1973 US Open at Oakmont.
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The two-man duel was scintillating stuff, a back-and-forth match that will go down as among the greatest in history.
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.
“I’m very excited with the work that I’ve put in with (swing coach) Andrew Getson”, Mickelson said.
A two-shot lead over Mickelson proved enough, however, Stenson making a safe par up the last – his sole moment of fear coming as his tee shot on 18 finished just two inches short of a fairway bunker.
Yet remarkably, the 2013 Open champion was still beaten by three strokes as Stenson fired 10 birdies on his way to a 63 that secured the Claret Jug and the lowest aggregate total in major history.
“I lost a dear friend on Wednesday morning in the States from cancer and I feel like he has been with me all week, Mike this one is for you”. “I get you have to cover it, but why do you have to interfere with it?” I don’t look back on anything and say, ‘I should have done this differently or that.’ I played well enough to win this championship by a number of strokes, and I get beat my three strokes. Only one player has claimed his first career major at 40-plus since 2000, Darren Clarke in 2011 at the British Open at 42. “I just wish I had gotten off to a better start”.
“I knew that he would ultimately come through and win”.
Maybe birdie every hole. Mickelson responded with two birdies of his own and an eagle on the outward nine.
NOTEWORTHY: This is the first time Stenson has led outright after any round in a major. “I make a 35-footer for par to stay in the ballgame”.
“It’s disappointing to come in second, but I’m happy for Henrik”. But it was Stenson – seeking his first Grand Slam win – reeling off three birdies in a row on holes 14 to 16. Moreover, he showed a resolve that he’d never tapped into this deeply.
“I knew he wasn’t going to back down at any point, and in a way that makes it easier for myself”, Stenson said.
Stenson made his. Mickelson didn’t. Barely believable was the score of third-placed JB Holmes, who was a full 14 strokes behind Stenson on six under.
It was reminiscent of the “Duel in the Sun” just down the Ayrshire coastline at Turnberry in 1977, when Tom Watson beat Jack Nicklaus by one shot after a weekend of punches and counterpunches.
“I knew I had to keep on pushing and keep on giving myself birdie chances”.
Stenson took home the title on Sunday, keeping the lead he had built over Mickelson the day before by scoring another historic 63 round and the lowest overall score ever (-20) at the event. “I got beat by 10 birdies”.
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But Stenson shrugged off that setback and birdied the next three holes in a row. His missed opportunities on holes 13 through 15 weren’t quite as tantalizing, settling for par on each after his attempts at birdies looped around the hole. He had to settle for birdie, and Stenson matched him with a 5-foot birdie.
