Henrik Stenson shot a new Open Championship record of 20-under-par, including 63 on Sunday at Royal Troon Golf Club, to win the Claret Jug and his first major.
The Swede went toe to toe with Phil Mickelson over the front nine, and then outclassed the five-time major champ on the stretch, where Stenson made three consecutive birdies for the second time in his round.
‘It was all the way to the end. I knew I had to keep on pushing, keep on giving myself birdie chances and (Mickelson) wasn’t going to give it to me, so I had to pull away. I’m just delighted I managed to do that with a couple of birdies at the right time on the final stretch,’ he said.
Mickelson shot 65 and was 11 shots clear of third-placed JB Holmes, but by the 18th he accepted that the tournament was out of his hands.
Stenson shot the lowest round in Open Championship history and equalled Jason Day’s 20-under-par record low score in a major.
Henrik Stenson’s last 5 holes:
– Birdie
– Birdie
– Birdie
– Par
– BirdieHe saved his best for last. pic.twitter.com/7rTfYF7igK
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 17, 2016
The winner of the gold medal and the Champion Golfer of the Year… #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/v7BAPIxiXN
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2016
