Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson delivered what we all hoped for today in the final round of the Open Championship.
The word they like to use across the pond to describe something this impressive is brilliant. But this was more than brilliant, it was exceptionally brilliant.
Stenson not only broke through for his first major win but he did it in record breaking fashion with a final round that will be remembered as one of the best of all time.
The straight hitting, wise cracking Swede recorded the lowest total score ever shot at a major championship, 264. His 20 under par is the lowest total in Open Championship history and tied Jason Day’s PGA Championship as the lowest score relative to par in a major. And his final round 63 ties Johnny Miller’s 63 at Oakmont for the lowest final round in the majors.
As Stenson and Mickelson started to pile on the birdies they further separated themselves from the rest of the field and finished with the largest gap between second and third place in Open history, a mammoth eleven shots.
On Saturday as these two played their way around Royal Troon one of the announcers made reference to Turnberry’s famous Duel in the Sun in 1977 between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus. I thought that was a bit premature but today these two played historic rounds that certainly rivaled the excitement brought by Tom and Jack.
From the start it had the feel of match play, intense match play and when Mickelson birdied the first to pull even with Stenson the race was on. As the sun shone on the first hole it may have even looked a bit like Turnberry. But as the increasing clouds stole some of that feel the play was so exquisite it seemed Henrik and Phil were doing their best imitation of those two icons.
Truth be told, these two played better than Tom and Jack. Watson beat Nicklaus 65-66 while Henrik topped Phil 63-65.
It was a championship bout worthy to be called a classic.
They traded great shots, birdie putts, miraculous saves and stood toe to toe delivering and taking the best and biggest punches they could muster.
Stenson never played a better round of golf in his life and Mickelson stayed with him til the end.
He becomes the first Swedish man to win a major and did it in historic fashion. Afterwards as he held the Claret Jug he said he “…felt it was my time. I believed it was my time.”
It certainly was his time and it was just brilliant, exceptionally brilliant.
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