Only seven other players have won their first major after turning 40.
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“This is a new opportunity and it would be massive to win the Open in Scotland”, the Ryder Cup star said.
That’s what Royal Troon will have presented by Sunday evening: back-to-back rounds of Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson, thrust and parry, punch and counter-punch, with the Claret Jug on the line.
“Some draws go your way”, Rory McIlroy said, “and some draws don’t”. Momentum could change with any shot.
Stenson, who shot 3-under 68 in the third round and is 12-under overall, holds a 54-hole lead in a major for the first time in his career. “So I’ll go out and try to shoot a good score and try to finish as high as I possibly can”. Mickelson was soaked when he walked off the course, though he managed to get in eight holes before the rain arrived.
Spieth says he’s “hitting the ball great”, but can’t get past his struggle on the greens.
“I got lucky that that ball didn’t go into the gorse, even though I didn’t have a back swing”, Mickelson said. I sort of read them, then I’m thinking: “‘Do you factor the wind in, do you not?’ So I was a little indecisive”. It might happen, it might not happen. “The sun will come up on Monday anyway, hopefully”, he said. “Maybe not in Scotland, but other parts of the world”.
Henrik Stenson leads the British Open going into the final round at Royal Troon after a 68 on Saturday (Jul 16) gave him a one-stroke advantage from Phil Mickelson. Steve Stricker is one of those at 210.
“I was off today”.
Then on No.18, he sent his approach from the light rough into the front-left bunker and immediately complained – with an expletive thrown in – that the click of cameras threw him off. “I can’t believe that”, Mickelson said toward a group of photographers. “I still hit a good shot to advance it down the fairway like I did, and found a way to get up and down”.
Some days it’s easy and it looks pretty like the first couple. He’s in a great position to make a run for his second Open title. Billy Haas (69 _ 207, six-under) is third; Andrew Johnston of England next at 70 – 208, followed by B.J. Holmes, 69 – 209.
“That was fantastic, I had so much fun out there”, the Englishman, who is nicknamed “Beef” told BBC Radio 5 Live”.
Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark was joint-third along with American Keegan Bradley on seven-under after both shot 68s.
Mickelson led after making birdie on the 16th hole to move to 12 under.
“Oh, thanks for reminding me”, laughed Stenson.
That put him one stroke up on Mickelson, who began solidly with one birdie and three pars. “I’m playing really nicely and I know Phil will not back off, he is one of the finest players to have played in the last 50 years but I’m right where I want to be”.
The two were separated by more than one shot only once all day, when Mickelson holed a 20-foot birdie at the 13th.
And like Day, Spieth picked up four shots going out before giving them all back coming home to be five over and out following his third-round 72.
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Mickelson, who beat Stenson into runners-up spot in this tournament at Muirfield three years ago, made one early birdie to try and keep pace with his nearest challenger.
