Henrik Stenson wins the 2016 British Open in duel with Phil Mickelson
ROYAL TROON, Scotland - After an epic duel at the British Open, Henrik Stenson has claimed his first major title.
Stenson shot an 8-under 63 on Sunday to beat Phil Mickelson by three strokes, becoming the first man from Sweden to win one of golf's biggest events.
After seven career top -five finishes at major championships, Stenson broke through for his first major victory with a dazzling performance at the 145th Open Championship, reports CBSSports.com. Stenson posted a 63 on Sunday, tying the major championship record for a low round. His 20-under score of 264 set a new major scoring record and tied Jason Day's record score to par.
Stenson's Sunday showing was nothing short of spectacular, especially considering how well he played while staring down Phil Mickelson, who shot a terrific 6-under 65 of his own. Stenson's ball-striking was unreal, hitting 16-of-18 greens in regulation, and his putter was scorching hot as he needed only 27 putts to get around Royal Troon.
The Sunday showdown between Stenson and Mickelson will go down in Open Championship lore, as the two lapped the field. Mickelson, who finished second by two shots, was 11 strokes ahead of third-place finisher J.B. Holmes (6 under).
Stenson capped off his victory in style, pumping a 310-yard 3-wood down the 18th fairway -- nearly hitting it too well as it came up a foot shy of a bunker -- and then finding the center of the green to take away any nerves from his putt, which he buried anyways to make his round a record-setting one.
Mickelson, seeking his sixth major title at age 46, did all he could to capture the claret jug. But Stenson gained the upper hand by rolling in a 50-foot birdie putt from off the green at No. 15 to take a two-shot lead - the first time all day the final group had been separated by more than one stroke.
In a fitting touch after two days of foul weather, the sun broke through just as the final group was teeing off at No. 1. This head-to-head matchup will surely be remembered alongside the "Duel in the Sun" at Turnberry between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus in 1977.
Stenson finished at 20-under 264 overall, breaking both the Open scoring record of 267 set by Greg Norman at Royal St. George's in 1993 and the major championship mark of 265 by David Toms at the 2001 PGA Championship.
Mickelson shot 65 for a 267 total.