Henrik Stenson excited to reignite Royal Troon rivalry with Phil Mickelson

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

It was a performance which broke or equalled all kinds of records, not to mention Phil Mickelson’s heart.

The last time Royal Troon hosted the Open Championship in 2016, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson came out on top in a sensational shootout with Mickelson to win his only major title and lift the Claret Jug.

Stenson carded a closing 63 to become only the second player ever to finish a major on 20 under par, equalling the record set by Jason Day in the previous year’s US PGA Championship.

As well as equalling the lowest score recorded in any major at the time, which Mickelson had also done in the first round, it was only the second 63 in the final round of a major by the eventual winner after Johnny Miller in the 1973 US Open at Oakmont.

Stenson’s 72-hole total of 264 also eclipsed the previous best in a major set by David Toms in the 2001 US PGA and was three lower than the previous Open record set by Greg Norman at Sandwich in 1993.

Mickelson had started the final round just one behind Stenson and carded a closing 65, but finished three behind as they combined for 14 birdies and an eagle, reviving memories of the ‘Duel in the Sun’ between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus at nearby Turnberry in 1977.

Eight years on, the protagonists will travel to Troon after competing in the latest LIV Golf event at Valderrama, where they looked back on one of the greatest Open Championships in recent memory.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Stenson said.

“There’s been a few Opens since but it’s going to be special coming back to a great venue with Phil. It was a fantastic week of golf for both of us. Luckily for me, I was the one to draw the longer straw and come out with a win.

“I was 40 at the time and I never knew how many chances I’m going to get to win a major championship. Going up against Phil, I knew I was in for a real challenge.

“I knew what I was up against and I think that helped me to just let go and really go after it and bring my absolute best and, lucky for me, I managed to do that. As they say, the rest is history.”

Mickelson had beaten Stenson into second place at Muirfield three years earlier and admits he still cannot believe his closing 65 was not good enough to claim a second Open title.

“It’s the only time I can remember in my career where I played my absolute best golf and it wasn’t enough to win,” the left-hander said.

“I’ve always tried to put it in my hands. Like if I play my game, if I play well, it will be good enough, and it always had been until that week.

“But yet I still really enjoyed that week. I look back on it fondly even though I didn’t win. I loved the 36 holes over the weekend that we played, competed against head-to-head.

“We really had a great time because that’s what it’s about. It’s not about the trophy as much as it is the process. I thought I played a great final round and I thought for sure 65 would be enough.

“Even though I came up short, I thought it was a lot of fun to be a part of that.”