So we’ve just all witnessed something very, very special indeed. Hearty congratulations to Henrik Stenson, who shot a final-round 63 of such grace under pressure that it defies belief. And commiserations to Phil Mickelson: somebody had to lose, but he’s just played his part in one of golf’s greatest championships, a duel for the ages, and he’ll appreciate that once the sting subsides. Here’s how they ended up ...
-20: Stenson
-17: Mickelson
-6: Holmes
-5: Stricker
-4: McIlroy, Hatton, Garcia
-3: Beef
-2: D Johnson, Kjeldsen, Haas
-1: Southgate, Sullivan, Grillo, Woodland, Z Johnson, Reed
... here’s the final-day report ...
... and hopefully you’ll be in the mood to do it all again in a fortnight’s time. See you for the PGA at Baltusrol!
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Henrik Stenson speaks: “Wow. This will take a little while to sink in. I’m still trying to find my bearings here. I want to thank Phil for a fantastic battle. We played some great golf. I’m delighted to come out on top, but thank you very much! I lost a dear friend to cancer earlier this week, and I feel he’s been with me all week. Mike, this one is for you.” He kisses the trophy, exchanging emotional glances with his wife. That’s a sweet moment. Stenson looks - and sounds - stunned, quite frankly. Punch drunk, perhaps, after a scrap for the ages. He deserves to taste a few restorative drops of something nice from that famous old Claret Jug tonight! Phil might need something quite strong too.
While the R&A faff about with their pre-presentation chit-chat, a little admin. JB Holmes and Steve Stricker parred the last, so the former ends up in third ahead of the latter. Meanwhile Beef ended down at -3, while Bill Haas finally has his top-ten finish in a major, finishing joint ninth at -2. But never mind that, for the R&A are ready now. Here comes the gold medal winner and the champion golfer of the year: Henrik Stenson!
There’s no question about it. We’ve just witnessed one of the greatest Open Championship battles of all time. Maybe the best? Better than the famous Duel in the Sun at Turnberry? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Maybe we shouldn’t care. On its own terms, that was one of the greatest sporting scraps you’re ever likely to see. What Phil Mickelson did there in defeat was extraordinary: a 65, four birdies and an eagle. But what Henrik Stenson achieved was out of this world: ten birdies - ten birdies! - and two bogeys on his way to a record-equalling 63. Under all that pressure! What a pair of heroes. Though only one can claim the prize. Stenson, the deserving victor, will lift the famous Claret Jug in a minute.
Golf, eh? Bloody hell.
HENRIK STENSON IS THE 2016 OPEN CHAMPION! He sends a 20-foot right-to-left slider towards the hole. In keeping with the drama of the day, the ball stops on the edge of the cup, thinks about staying out, then drops in. A birdie, and by the end of this historic tussle, he’s shot a major-record-equalling 63! He punches the air and wanders around for a second, not sure what to do. Then he embraces Mickelson, who for a minute looks utterly drained of emotion. A thousand-yard stare. Stenson places a caring, sympathetic hand on his shoulder and leaves him to his thoughts. But a few seconds later, a rejuvenated Mickelson’s coming back at his victor. He places the warmest of congratulatory arms around him, and the pair wander off the green wearing wide smiles. Unavoidable echoes of Watson and Nicklaus all those years ago!
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Spare a thought for poor Phil Mickelson. One of the greatest players in the world has done next to nothing wrong. He lags up his long putt to 18 inches, and taps in for par. He’s just shot 65 on the final day of a major championship, and isn’t going to win. That’s heartbreaking for him. But when the disappointment fades, he’ll be so very, very proud of his contribution to one of golf’s greatest ever days!
Mickelson tells his caddy that he’d rather go for it and fail, rather than play safe and die wondering. He fires a long iron straight at the flag, but not for the first time today, comes up short. It’s on the green, but he’s left with a long putt. Stenson then whips his iron into the heart of the dancefloor. It’s surely over! He’s two putts away from prevailing in the greatest Open scrap since Watson and Nicklaus went at it down the coast in 1977! And the crowd react accordingly as the two battered but brave heroes make their way up the last. This really is something else. Stenson looks stony faced, but only because he’s clearly battling to keep his emotions in check. He’s very close to winning one of the greatest Opens ever!
If Stenson is nervous, he doesn’t betray it as he lashes his iron straight down the 18th fairway. A wonderful shot. Unruffled. But like Greg Norman in the play-off back in 1989, adrenalin, plus a hard bounce, sends his ball towards the bunker down the right! Unlike Norman, the ball stops one step short of dropping in! Stenson’s heart was in his mouth there. That’s nearly 330 yards away! Eh? Mickelson meanwhile finds the middle of the fairway. Stenson’s tee shot, though. Dearie me!
And Stenson’s birdie effort looks like dropping, but just like Mickelson’s eagle effort on the last, fades a microsecond before it’s supposed to disappear from view! It slides to the left, and he can only par too. He’s still got a two-shot lead going up the last, but it looked done and dusted a couple of putts ago. Now there’s still a glimmer of hope for Mickelson, albeit a very distant one. Stenson will be understandably nervous, having surely thought he’d done everything required.
-19: Stenson (17)
-17: Mickelson (17)
Mickelson bumps his chip up towards the green, but the bank takes the sting out of his shot. The ball only just makes it onto the putting surface, and he’s left with a 15-footer for par. He takes hold of his putter to do business, in the hope of salvaging something from this situation, but the look in his eye betrays his true feelings: this could be over very soon. But he rolls in the par saver. He’s going to make Stenson work for this!
The 17th tee, and the shot of Stenson’s life. If he gets this close, he’ll surely close out this Championship! And that’s exactly what he does! A 220-yard iron guided by laser towards the flag! He’s seven feet from the flag! And it could be the blow that knocks out Mickelson. He sends his tee shot down the bank to the left. If ever he needs a miracle chip, it’s here. Thing is, he’s done little wrong. Stenson has been simply relentless, all day. All week. He’ll be a richly deserved champion if he can close this out!
Yes he can! It’s rolled with resolve into the centre of the cup! Three birdies in a row for Henrik Stenson, and he’s made his move to win this Open Championship! Meanwhile over on 17, Stricker fluffs a chip from the side of the green, that’s a double bogey, and third place belongs to his partner JB Holmes again!
-19: Stenson (16)
-17: Mickelson (16)
-6: Holmes (17)
-5: Stricker (17)
And he so nearly makes it! It’s trundling in, up the green from right to left, but somehow dies to the left at the very last and balances on the lip. Just like the putt for his 62: how on earth did that stay out, inexplicably going sideways when it was surely destined to drop?! But that’s a birdie that’ll move him to -17. He’s back to within a shot of Stenson. Can the big man restore his two-shot lead by making this pressure four footer?
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Stenson’s got a very wispy lie. He’s got to be very careful not to move his ball. He doesn’t have to negotiate the bunker, though, which makes things a lot easier. And showcasing nerves made of steel, and supported by steel, he clips a chip onto the fringe and sends his ball scampering up to four feet! That looked almost impossible from where he was! The pressure’s back on Mickelson, who might now feel the need to make his eagle putt!
This isn’t over yet! Mickelson fires an arrow-straight iron onto the front of 16. He’s giving nothing up. Stenson pulls out his 3-wood, looking to guide one in left to right. He sets it out there, but it isn’t coming back, and lands in some thick rough to the side of the green. That’ll be a poser. Wow. Mickelson applied the pressure with that stunning second, and Stenson buckled a little there, playing second in conditions not totally unlike classic matchplay. Did I say wow? Wow. This is an Open battle for the ages.
Stenson and Mickelson clip irons down the par-five 16th from the tee box. Up on 18, Sergio nearly rolls a Stensonesque biggie across the green for a valedictory birdie, but it’s a par, a 69, and a share of the clubhouse lead at -4 with McIlroy and Hatton. Holmes meanwhile took two putts for birdie on 16, but he’s still a shot shy of third place, because Stricker picked up a stroke on the hole too and moves to -7.
Stenson moves two shots clear!
Stenson drains a monster from the fringe on the right of 15! It’s one of those that’s always heading in, on an inexorable 50-feet journey. Up a small bank, oscillating along a line on the right lip, and perfectly paced, the last drop of energy toppling the ball into the cup! He allows himself a little fist pump, because he knows that could be the moment that won the Open! Mickelson bravely gives his birdie effort a good rattle, but it stays out on the right and suddenly the Swede has a two-shot gap!
-18: Stenson (15)
-16: Mickelson (15)
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Keegan Bradley and Charl Schwartzel, who both harboured hopes at the halfway stage, end the week with a pair of 73s. They’re level par for their tournament. That’s something for the previously out-of-form Bradley to build on; and Schwartzel will have enjoyed playing with his new clubs for the most part. But never mind that, because back on 15...
Stenson’s second into 15 topples off the side of the green, front right. That’s a fair distance from the flag, out on the other side. The door slightly ajar for Mickelson, then: from 200 yards, he arrows his iron straight at the flag, but it’s 25 feet short. But he’s got a small advantage here. Meanwhile up on 16, Holmes looks to repair the damage caused on 15 by pearling a fairway wood into the heart of the par-five green. He’ll have a look at eagle, pin high, 20 feet away.
Stenson has the honour now, and bombs a 3-wood down the track at 15. Mickelson follows him down there with the big stick. It’s impossible to take your eyes off this, it’s an Open duel for the ages. Meanwhile JB Holmes ends up with a double-bogey six at 15, which drops him down to -5. His playing partner Steve Stricker, with his 12th par of the day, is now third at -6. “After what happened on Thursday, it would be pretty hard for Phil to take if he lost by a shot,” suggests Simon McMahon, referring to the moment Lefty came the width of a dimple away from an epochal 62. Not sure how his tee shot at the Postage Stamp stayed out on Friday, either. But this is the way of golf, and this is where we are.
Mickelson’s birdie attempt never looks like going in, but does end up next to the hole, and he taps in for his par. Stenson then has a fairly straight putt to take the lead at a crucial moment. It’s a very gentle right-to-left slider, and he judges it to perfection! The Swede hits the front four holes from home. Four holes to his maiden major!
-17: Stenson (14)
-16: Mickelson (14)
Our heroes reach the par-three 14th. Mickelson fades it in, pin high, 25 feet to the right. Stenson, by the look in his eyes, worries that he’s hit his tee shot off the back left, but it stops safely enough, and in fact isn’t too bad at all, 15 feet behind the pin. Maybe a little closer. Meanwhile up on 15, it’s beginning to go badly wrong for poor JB Holmes. In third place. he wings his drive out of bounds on the right, then slices his fourth shot into deep trouble down the same side. Not sure if that’s O/B too, but it’s close. Either way, his tournament is in danger of falling apart here.
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Stenson lags a 30-footer up to 18 inches or so, a fine feel with nerves jangling like a mid-80s cutie band. Par. Mickelson then very nearly steers his gentle left-to-right slider into the cup from 20 feet, but it somehow stays out on the left, and they’re still neck and neck at -16. This is something else. Up on 16, a birdie for Sergio that takes him into the pack at -4. “Really hoping these two keep it up to the final hole,” says Stephen Cooper. “It would be a distinct anticlimax if one of them has a disaster before we get there. I’d not say no to a play-off!”
-16: Mickelson (13), Stenson (13)
-7: Holmes (14)
-6: Stricker (14)
-4: McIlroy (F), Hatton (F), Garcia (16), Beef (14)
Mickelson and Stenson are falling behind the pace a little, which is surely understandable in the circumstances. It’s all about this final group. They haven’t been put on the clock, but the referee has had a little word. All a bit unnecessary. But compared to the utter balls the USGA made of both the men’s and women’s US Opens, it’s not much to worry about. The pair blooter drivers down 13 - a rare sighting of Stenson’s big Bertha - and subsequently find the green in regulation. Stenson’s approach has leaked off to the right a little, though, and he’ll have the longer putt. Meanwhile up on 18, Tyrrell Hatton - a top 25 finish at last year’s PGA and a second place in the Scottish Open last week - is a couple of rolls away from a birdie. But par will do. That’s a 68, and he’s tied for the clubhouse lead right now with four-time major-winning Rory McIlroy at -4. He’s one for the future all right.
Stenson is putting first. Once again he doesn’t hit the birdie putt. Just the par. And he’s given Mickelson a read. Having gone to school on Stenson’s putt, the 2013 champion and five-time major winner rolls his gentle left-to-right saver into the cup, and that’s a complete steal. He was all over the shop! Stenson was as calm as you like, but both of them walk off with pars. That’s golf! Elsewhere, Beef has bogeyed 10 and 12 to drift to -4, Stricker has rolled a 25-footer across 14 for his third birdie of the day - no dropped shots yet - and he’s -6. And the US Open champion Dustin Johnson signs for a final round of 70: he ends the tournament in decent shape at -2.
-16: Mickelson (12), Stenson (12)
-7: Holmes (14)
-6: Stricker (14)
-4: McIlroy (F), Hatton (17), Beef (13)
Mickelson’s got a better lie than he possibly deserves. Not that he’s in a good spot: while his rival’s comfortably on the green, he’s got the best part of 70 yards to the flag, playing blind over the hillock. He whips his ball into the middle of the green in the easy style. Still 15 feet from the hole, but with a chance of saving an unlikely par. Meanwhile up on 17, Hatton pings his tee shot straight at the flag, eight feet short, but he pulls the very makeable birdie putt. He stays at -4.
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Could the momentum be shifting again? Mickelson sends his tee shot into the filth down the left of 12, then lets the grass grip the hosel and turn his club to send the second shot onto an extremely grassy knoll to the right. Stenson meanwhile hits two calm irons down the middle to find the green in regulation. Meanwhile away from the drama, the defending champion Zach Johnson signs his name to a final-day 71. A very fine defence of his title; even if he ended up falling way short, at -1, he was in contention for much of this week. He’s a brilliant links player. And he’ll always have St Andrews.
Beef misses a four-footer for par on 12. He’s three over through the last five holes, back at -4, and could do with a momentum shifter. His compatriot Tyrrell Hatton is heading the other way: that birdie at 12 has now been followed by another at 16, a long rake across the par five, and he’s -4 too, albeit with a much more cheery demeanour right now. Steve Stricker continues to go well: three pars since the turn, and he’s -5 overall through 12. And Bill Haas’s journey south continues: bogeys at 5, 6, 8 and now 11, and he’s slipped all the way to -2.
Stenson doesn’t give his long birdie putt any sort of clack at all. It’s always going to end up short, and stops four feet shy of the cup. That’ll be a jittery one for his par. Mickelson opts to putt up from the bottom of the bank, and a misread sends the ball a couple of feet to the right of the hole. He’s close enough to have the option to finish up, and with his matchplay hat on, grabs the opportunity with both hands. He makes his par, and there’s suddenly a little pressure on this Stenson putt. He doesn’t quite hit it, a timid prod slipping a little bit to the left. It thinks about dropping in, but horseshoes out instead. Two very shaky putts from Stenson, who has yet to win a major and might soon start thinking about that very fact. We’re all square again, as these heroes trade blow after blow!
-16: Mickelson (11), Stenson (11)
-7: Holmes (12)
Stenson thinks long and hard about his second shot, hampered slightly by overhanging gorse bushes ahead. That’s more a sightline problem than anything else. He fires his iron straight at the green, though it only gets on the front. He’ll have a long birdie putt from 35 feet. Mickelson lands his second right by the flag, but it bounces on and topples down the back of the green. That’s extremely unfortunate. It should be an easy enough up and down, but there goes a birdie chance. Though rule nothing out, the way this round has been going. Meanwhile Sergio sends his second through the green at 13, and can’t scramble his par. His second bogey on the back nine, after dropping one at 10, and he’s slipping backwards at -2.
Stenson finds the semi-rough to the left of the fairway. That’ll be fine. Mickelson whistles his straight down the middle. The hardest shot of the round, gone, without disaster. Up ahead, Holmes gets up and down from the front of the 12th green to scramble a fine par: he stays at -7, in third place, just the nine strokes off second place.
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My mistake, turns out Mickelson was a step inside Stenson. The Swede takes advantage by arrowing his putt straight into the back of the hole, his sixth birdie today! He’s now two ahead at the top, so Mickelson really, really, really needs to make his birdie putt. And in it goes! This is amazing golf, one of the rounds of the ages. So far, the pair have delivered nine birdies and one eagle between them in ten holes. Nine birdies! One eagle! Ten holes! This is preposterous. Railway hole next, mind. That could put the cat among the pigeons.
-17: Stenson (10)
-16: Mickelson (10)
-7: Holmes (11)
Mickelson and Stenson make their way to the 10th tee, where the business end of the tournament begins. Mickelson hands his ball to a lad no more than six years old; the lad’s smile, all disbelieving excitement, could power Ayrshire for a few months. What a folk hero Lefty is. It’s the small things. He sends his tee shot into the semi-rough, but no matter - he fires his second straight at the flag! It’s 12 feet behind the hole. What a shot from that position! At which point Stenson begins to look a bit twitchy, coming out of the shot a couple of times when the breeze changes direction, before finally committing - and landing his ball a couple of fee inside Mickelson’s! This round is turning pugilistic, it’s a remarkable exchange of high-quality haymakers. What glorious nonsense!
Up on 18, McIlroy sends his second shot to ten feet, but can’t guide the left-to-right slider home. That’s a 67. He ends an ultimately disappointing week at -4. Chances are, he’ll be in the top ten, or thereabouts; that we’re saying it’s disappointing speaks volumes of his innate class. He’s the new clubhouse leader. He’ll challenge seriously for a major again soon. At Baltusrol? You wouldn’t put it past him.
Stenson reaches the turn one shot clear of Mickelson
Nope! He doesn’t read the left-to-right break, and that’s just a par. He reaches the turn in 32, pretty good going on the last day of a major. Stenson tidies up for his par, and he’s out in 32 as well. This takes some doing. Meanwhile at 10, Beef sends his second down the swale to the right of the green. He can’t get up and down from that very tricky position, and that’s two bogeys in the last three holes. He’s back down to -5.
-16: Stenson (9)
-15: Mickelson (9)
-7: Holmes (10)
-5: Stricker (10), Beef (10)
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Stenson and Mickelson both clip irons up the fairway at 9. Both of their approaches land to ten, maybe 12 feet. Lefty’s just inside, but these are almost matchplay conditions now, and when there’s not much in it, that’s not necessarily an advantage if Stenson can rattle his into the hole first, applying all sorts of pressure. Stenson’s up first. It looks as though he’s got it, but it slips a couple of feet by on the right. Can Phil, from ten feet, take advantage?
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A little admin. Andy Sullivan has joined Matthew Southgate as clubhouse leader at -1; he shot 69 today. Steve Stricker reached the turn in 34 after birdies at 4 and 7; he’s -5 through 10. And Tyrrell Hatton turned in 34, dropped one at 11, but has picked it straight back up at 12; after a very decent PGA last year, this is another strong showing in a major from the 24-year-old up-and-coming English star.
This is in serious danger of turning into 1977 mk.II. Stenson curls his uphill 12-foot left-to-right breaker into the cup. It’s dead-eyed perfection. He walks off smiling, and well he might, because Mickelson, who looked to have the easier putt, leaves his high on the left. There’s a slightly haunted look in his eyes as he walks off the green; that hurt. It’s not a thousand yard stare; maybe 100 feet. He needs to rediscover his twinkle; I’m sure he’ll locate it quite soon.
-16: Stenson (8)
-15: Mickelson (8)
-7: Holmes (9)
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Beef couldn’t save his par at 8, and now it’s Lefty and Henrik at the Postage Stamp. It’s only 116 yards, but it could make or break an Open challenge. Mickelson clips his pin high to eight feet. Stenson then lands his ball halfway inside Mickelson’s, but it spins back down the green to 12 feet. Both have avoided sandy disaster, which was the primary aim. Meanwhile JB Holmes reaches the turn in 33; he’s in third place at -7. And Rory finds the 16th green in two huge hits. Two careful putts later, and he’s back up the leaderboard to -4.
Stenson’s approach play is stunning. He’s outshining Mickelson, which says everything. Mickelson’s second on 7 ends up 25 feet behind the pin, a result of the dirt on his ball. Hey, he could have lost it. Stenson, hitting crisply from the fairway, lands his ten feet from the pin. Advantage Stenson, though Mickelson nearly drains his birdie effort, while Stenson pulls his much shorter one to the left. Another pair of pars, and they’re both still on -15. Sergio meanwhile leaves himself an 18-footer for par across 10. He hits it bang on line, but just like on the 1st, doesn’t give it enough juice. He’s back to -4. For want of a couple of joules of energy on a couple of holes, he’s be in a much healthier position.
The world number one Jason Day finishes off by missing a short birdie putt that sums up his week. A 71, and he’s +1 overall. It’s not quite clicked for the Aussie genius since those last few holes at Firestone. Beef meanwhile finds the bunker to the right of the Postage Stamp; with little room between sand and flag, and a slope facing the trap, he’s in some bother there. He can only splash out into the centre of the green, but as Monty says on Sky, “that’s half the battle.” He’ll face a 15-footer to save his par.
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A huge break for Mickelson down 7. He hits his driver straight left, and it’s fizzing towards a gorse bush. A lost or unplayable ball is surely on the cards. But it hits a punter lining the side of the hole, and while he’ll have a tight lie off some trodden-down filth, that’s infinitely preferable to the alternative. Meanwhile Stenson, who looks the more composed of the two right now, splits the fairway with his iron. Up on the green, par for Beef. And a par for Holmes at the Postage Stamp, whose tee shot landed 12 feet from the flag, his birdie putt shaving the left of the hole. Have you succumbed to Open fever yet? Yes, us too. Help! Help! Someone, please, call Dr Golf!
Mickelson and Stenson both birdie the 6th! Tied at -15
Mickelson and Stenson both decide against trying to look for the par-five 6th green in two big booms. Instead they lay up. And how the tactic works! Mickelson wedges to ten feet, a fine shot. Stenson then lands his ball 25 feet past the hole - only to send it spinning back to four feet, an even better one! Mickelson rolls in his birdie putt, and gives the air a small punch. He knows how important that is, because Stenson certainly isn’t missing his putt. A pair of birdies, and this is getting silly now. It’s golf right out of the top drawer. Meantime Sergio pars 9 to reach the turn in 33; he’s -3. And a birdie for Steve Stricker at 7, too; he’s -5.
-15: Mickelson (6), Stenson (6)
-7: Holmes (7), Beef (6)
-5: Garcia (9), Stricker (7)
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JB Holmes looks to be in a spot of bother down the left of 7. He’s only in the semi-rough, but with bunkers and hillocks between his ball and the flag. He lobs gently over the grassy knoll, though, bouncing his ball off the bank at the side of the green and letting the camber gather his ball to six feet. In goes the birdie putt, and he’s suddenly in a share of third with Beef at -7. That’s his third birdie in four holes, and he’s looking very calm right now. Beef, incidentally, played the par-five 6th in regulation after a wild drive, but his partner Haas dropped another shot; the chance of a top-ten finish does indeed seem to be getting to him.
Matthew Southgate dropped a stroke at the difficult par-three 17th, but he closes with a par and signs for a 69. At -1, he’ll have another high finish in a big tournament; another inspirational performance after fighting back from serious illness. He’s the new clubhouse leader, deposing Lee Westwood, who finished with a 68, +1 overall alongside Jason Dufner, David Howell and Justin Rose.
A rare ‘as-you-were’ hole from Mickelson and Stenson there. But there’s scoreboard movement elsewhere! Sergio fires his tee shot straight at the Postage Stamp flag, though it’s 15 feet short. No matter: he guides in a very confident putt for his second birdie in a row! Sergio. Very confident putt. We’re through the looking glass. Meanwhile JB Holmes is pin high at the par-five 6th in two; a couple of putts, and he’s up to fourth place.
-14: Mickelson (5), Stenson (5)
-7: Beef (5)
-6: Holmes (6)
-5: Garcia (8)
Mickelson’s tee shot at 5 finds the middle of the green. He isn’t far away from curling home a huge left-to-right breaker from 30 feet, but doesn’t quite hit it. It stops short, like Frank Costanza, and that’s a par. Stenson is faced with a fairly straight one from 20 feet, but it’s always staying high on the left, and races a couple of feet by. A nervy one under these extreme circumstances, but he taps it in without betraying any jitters, and the pair move on, still bound together at -14.
No entry about Sergio in ages, and now two come along at once! He curls a 30-foot birdie putt in from the back of 7, and suddenly he’s -4 overall. Rory bounces back from back-to-back bogeys with a birdie at 13 after knocking his approach to three feet; he’s -3 again. And a loose tee shot at 5 costs Bill Haas his first bogey of the day; he drops to -5. I wonder if nerves are affecting the North Carolinian? He’s a former FedEx Cup winner, so has talent to burn, but for some reason has never made the top ten of any major. He’ll never have a better chance than this to break through that personal barrier.
Stenson lashes a fine long iron onto the front of the 4th green. He’ll have a long look at eagle. But he’s somewhat upstaged by Mickelson, who creams his approach into the heart of the green, using the banking to gather his ball towards the hole. He’s pin high, roughly eight feet from the hole. What an eagle opportunity that will be! Stenson’s up first, and he lags up from 60 feet to about five; that’s a lovely touch from there, albeit not a gimme. Phil next, and he guides in a gentle left-to-right slider for his eagle! That’s his first of the entire week. Quite the time to get it. Stenson taps in, and the pair are neck and neck at the top. Stenson has made three birdies in a row, and yet he can’t shake Mickelson off! Spin it round the other way, though: Mickelson has made birdie and eagle in four holes, and yet he can’t shake Stenson off! This is mighty good fun.
-14: Mickelson (4), Stenson (4)
-7: Beef (5)
“We haven’t had an update on Sergio yet,” notes Hubert O’Hearn, not inaccurately. “Do I dare ask? Do I even want to know? Should I hide behind the couch like a young Doctor Who viewer? Will I find Sergio’s golf ball there?” He’s doing not too badly: a birdie at 4, and he’s currently -3 for the tournament through 6. But it’s steady when he needs spectacular. I miss swashbuckling Sergio, wish he’d come back. It’s Not Sergio’s Year (part 17 in an ongoing series).
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Two changes of leadership already, and the final pairing are only three holes in. And people think the current geopolitical situation is unstable and unpredictable. Stenson blooters a 3-wood from the tee at the par-five 4th; Mickelson only just gets past him with his driver. Up on the green, Beef chips up from the front of the green to four feet, and isn’t missing the putt. He’s up to -7, five off Mickelson, in third place on is own! His partner Haas makes like Nick Faldo and records his fourth par in a row. He stays at -6. McIlroy drives into more bother down 12; another bogey, though it’s not all down to the big stick, as once again a short putt is missed, and he’s back to -2. All that front-nine work unravelling quickly. And Matthew Southgate very nearly drains a 25-foot eagle putt on 16 - two brilliant booms to get up there - but a birdie will do, and he’s -2.
Stenson reclaims the lead!
Henrik Stenson started nervously, but he’s gathered himself in double-quick time. He finds the middle of 3, maybe 20 feet from the hole, but the birdie putt isn’t going anywhere other than the centre of the cup. It’s a birdie that shakes Mickelson to the core: he’d hit a much better second, to eight feet, but he lets his slip by the left of the hole. Just the par, and all of a sudden Stenson has reclaimed the lead! This is astonishing stuff. Meanwhile Rory finds himself in quite a spot of bother down 11. He drove into the rough down the right, then sent his second up against a stone wall on the other side of the fairway. He can only punch out across the green and down a bank, and though he does very well to get up and down to limit the damage, that’s a bogey that drops him back to -3. Elsewhere, a birdie for JB Holmes at 4, and he takes fifth spot.
-13: Stenson (3)
-12: Mickelson (3)
-6: Beef (3), Haas (3)
-5: Holmes (4)
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One of the fairytales of the season continues to be told. Matthew Southgate, who spent last year successfully fighting cancer, celebrated a comeback fourth place at the Irish Open earlier this season with floods of joyous tears on the green. It was one of 2016’s great feelgood moments. He’s threatening another high place in the biggest championship of all: birdies at 12 and 13, and so close to another with a monster that shaves the hole at 15. He’s -1 overall, playing his round with the broadest of smiles, and everyone will be willing him god speed, as he makes his way home.
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We're all square again. Mickelson and Stenson both on -12
Oh this is outrageous! Phil decides to chip delicately over the bunker snookering him, instead of lobbing and landing softly, using plenty of backspin instead. There’s not much green between the bunker and the flag, this takes nerves of steel. But we know he’s got them. And once the ball lands and checks, it rolls slowly towards the cup. It’s not going in, is it? Well, not quite, it clanks off the pin and stops by the cup. He taps in for a fine par from where he was. But that was nearly so daft. And then Stenson rolls in a confident birdie putt, walking after it with his putter raised in the style of Jack Nicklaus before it even drops. This is already taking the shape of a classic duel, and we’re only two holes in! Meanwhile it’s been three holes of solid par golf from Bill Haas, but anything but from Beef: after his birdie-bogey start, it’s another birdie after he sends his wedge into 3 to a couple of feet!
-12: Mickelson (2), Stenson (2)
-6: Beef (3), Haas (3)
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Mickelson and Stenson take irons off the 2nd tee, and wheech them down the fairway. Stenson settles his nerves by sending his second into the heart of the green, where he’ll have a look at birdie from around 15 feet. Mickelson then steps up and pulls a terrible one wide of the bunkers to the right of the green. He’ll need one of his trademark outrageous flops to get out of jail with a par here. Advantage Stenson on this hole, and already a sense that this could be an afternoon of non-stop to-and-fro.
McIlroy sends his second into the difficult 10th pin high to six feet. It’s a brilliant shot, one that leaves a straight-as-a-die birdie putt. And he doesn’t hit it! It stops half a turn short, and he looks to the air in disbelief. He stays at -4. He could quite easily be four shots better off today; eight under for his round through 10 holes would of course be ludicrous, but if his flat stick was in any way reliable, it wouldn’t flatter the rest of his game. This is a very strange, and very frustrating performance by the 2014 champion.
Mickelson takes the lead!
Stenson leaves a long putt up 1 eight feet short. That’s a nervous effort, too. He really needs to tidy up. But he lets his par putt drift by the left, never going in, and that’s a very tatty bogey to start with for the third-round leader. He benefited from two two-shot swings on the back nine yesterday, but he’s on the receiving end of one this time. Mickelson taps in for his birdie. What a second shot. And it’s the perfect start for the 2013 champion! But up on 2, Johnston hands the birdie back to the field, driving into thick rough down the left, getting a flyer through the green, and finding himself unable to get up and down in two.
-12: Mickelson (1)
-11: Stenson (1)
-6: Haas (2)
-5: Beef (2)
-4: McIlroy (9), Holmes (2)
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A slightly nervous approach into 1 by Stenson, who only just finds the front of the green and watches grimly as the ball topples back onto the fringe. Mickelson meanwhile makes a stunning statement of intent, pitching his 9-iron two feet from the flag where it bites stone dead. He’ll have a short one for an opening birdie. That’s put the pressure on Stenson immediately! Meanwhile McIlroy finally holes a putt, making birdie across 9, and he’s reached the turn in 32. It’s absurd to think he could easily be three or four shots better: chances spurned with undercooked chips and putts on 1, 4, 7 and 8.
Stenson and Mickelson are out!
And so the duel begins! On the tee, from the USA, Phil Mickelson. He creams an iron straight down the middle, a nerve-settling start for a player who had a few problems with his timing yesterday. He starts his round at -11, and will be duelling with Henrik Stenson, a shot ahead at -12. The big Swede’s tee shot toys with the semi-rough on the right but finds the flat track too. Meanwhile up on the green, Haas very nearly drains a 40-footer up the green. Beef, going to school on his putt, strokes his effort in for birdie. If Troon had a roof, it ... er ... wouldn’t have a roof any more. The crowd go ballistic. They love Beef. Who doesn’t love Beef? He’s -6, tied for third, and you never know if the leaders falter!
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No-nonsense pars at the opening hole for Steve Stricker and JB Holmes. Back down the track, Haas addresses his ball and is about to swing when his caddy sends his bag crashing to the floor. I think the wind might have surprised the bagman there. Haas steps away calmly and goes through his routine again. He finds the centre of the green, a fine result given the rattle his nerves will have just taken. Meanwhile Beef wedges powerfully towards the flag, and gives himself a 15-foot look at birdie. Here’s Andy Gordon: “Just back from a weekend’s wifi-free camping in time to watch McIlroy’s triumphant march to... oh. At least the fiver I put on Jordan Spieth should be... riiiight. Well I can look forward to our relaxing holiday in Turkey coming up.”
On the first tee, the starter announces golf’s latest cult hero. “From England...” And then a dramatic pause. He’s not going to call him Beef, is he? “...Andrew Johnston.” The big tease. He did that on purpose. The big man blooters his opening shot into the rough down the left, and is sent on his way with a loud “Give us a wave, Beef!” He obliges with a smile. Of course he obliges with a smile. It’s going to be an interesting day for Bill Haas, who quietly clips his opening shot down the middle.
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McIlroy can only make par on 7. Not exactly a disaster, but from where he sent his drive, a slight disappointment. Birdie chances passed up on 1 and 4 today, too. He could have been off to an absolute stormer. The margins are fine at this level. A second birdie for Gary Woodland, at 4, and he’s -1. As is Dustin Johnson, who hands back the shot he picked up at 3 with an inexcusable bogey at the par-five 4th.
An eventful opening hole for the big-hitting American prospect Tony Finau. He hooks a dreadful drive towards the stand down the left, hitting some poor woman walking down a nearby path on the foot, then finds the front of the green off the woodchip. And drains a long putt up the green! An everyday birdie. He’s -4, and such a shame he suffered that mid-round slump yesterday that cost him four shots. Meanwhile another hip young gunslinger, Thomas Pieters of Belgium, reaches the turn in 33 after birdies at 3, 4 and 8. He’s -2 overall.
The defending - and let’s face it, outgoing - champion Zach Johnson follows up his birdie at 3 with another at 4. He’s -3. Up on 7, Rory nearly drives the green, then hits a hot chip 15 feet past the hole. That’s not terribly impressive. He nearly passed up the opportunity for birdie on the last, too, leaving his pitch well short, but for once saved himself with his putter. His short game has been an abominable disgrace this week. Has he been taking tips off Lee Westwood? If it was in any sort of shape, he’d be right up there. The good news is, if he spends the next fortnight doing nothing other than drills around the green - the sort Phil Mickelson was spotted performing relentlessly before this tournament - he’ll be a strong shout for the PGA at Baltusrol. But he needs to sort this out.
Thanks Niall. A birdie chance for Sergio on the opening hole from 12 feet. It’s straight and uphill. And he doesn’t hit it. “Come on Sergio, hit it, it’s Sunday and you’re behind.” Butch Harmon there on Sky. It’s a shame he wasn’t standing next to him delivering a clip round the lug with a flat, spinning hand every other syllable. The penny’s got to drop sometime soon, he doesn’t have forever.
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Stenson is out on the driving range, and is apparently declining all chit-chat with the media, in order to stay focused on the job. Kansan Gary Woodland birdies the fourth – his second of the day – to join a clutch of players on two under. McIlroy isn’t there any longer – he’s up to three under par, and suddenly tied for sixth, after another birdie a the 6th.
Over on the 18th, Jordan Spieth finishes his Open a long way from the limelight – but after carding a three-under 68, he’s ended a long run of over-par rounds at majors. So that’s something, I suppose. Time to hand back to Scott, who’ll see you all the way to the final putt. Here’s the current leaderboard:
-12: Stenson
-11: Mickelson
-6: Haas
-5: Beef
-4: Holmes
-3: McIlroy (6), Z Johnson (4), Schwartzel (1), Stricker, Finau, Kjeldsen
-2: Pieters (9), Woodland (5), D Johnson (3), Hatton (2), Reed (1), Garcia (1).
Quite the turnaround from Schwartzel, who pitches from the path to a bunker with his second shot – and then chips elegantly out, onto the green, and all the way to the pin for a birdie! He offers a slightly embarrassed grin. Bradley sets up a six-foot par putt in more functional fashion, but pushes it inches wide. Back at the tee, the first men in the top ten are getting started – Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed.
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It’s not been Bubba Watson’s week, but he sinks an eagle putt at the 16th to at least finish on a high. Andy Sullivan’s momentum is stalled at the Postage Stamp – he needs two attempts to dig out of a bunker and onto the green. McIlroy does pick up a birdie at the 5th – his approach play has been excellent so far, but he needs to find putting to match.
Marlow’s own Tyrrell Hatton bucks the trend of missed putts, draining a testing birdie effort at the 1st. He’s two under, the best score out on the course. Teeing off now, Keegan Bradley, who tumbled down the leaderboard late yesterday, and Charl Schwartzel, who has something of Seinfeld about him. The South African sends his opening drive way, way left, almost into the stands.
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Rory with a bump-and-run to within six feet at the 4th, setting up another birdie chance – which he misses! He considers launching his putter into the Firth of Clyde, before tapping in for par. Lefty is out on the driving range – his focus will obviously be on Stenson, but it can’t hurt his confidence that no-one out on the course is closer than ten shots behind him.
McIlroy finds the rough to the right on the 4th, but has a half-decent lie. After sizing it up awhile, he hooks it through a stiff breeze, to the edge of the green. It’s approach shots like that that must make the errant putts so infuriating.
Dustin Johnson is playing alongside Kevin Na, who the commentators reckon is so slow, “it takes him an hour and a half to watch 60 Minutes”. It seems to get to Johnson, who skews a presentable birdie putt.
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US Open champion Dustin Johnson is teeing off shortly – at one under par, he could still get involved in some more last-day drama at a major. All of the chasers will still require major slip-ups from the leading pair, who start in an hour or so.
“Both men in the final pairing will be decked out in black I’d say. These two going toe to toe, head to head, mano a mano, eyeball to eyeball. It’s going to be a super final round” says John McEnerney. Amen to that.
A raft of timid putts across the windswept early greens – McIlroy misses a birdie chance at the 3rd, and throws his hands up in frustration. Sullivan, in a spot of bother at the 6th, undercooks a tricky par putt, and Miguel Angel Jiménez wafts an apologetic effort wide right on the 1st green.
Australia’s Matt Jones went out in a five-under-par 31 on Thursday, but it’s all been downhill since then – until now, that is, as he sinks an improbable eagle at the 13th! Lee Westwood, three under today, thwacks an errant tee shot on the 13th that elicits a chuckle from his caddie.
Beef is out on the practice range, and had a typically relaxed chat with the Sky cameras a moment ago, saying that last night, in fourth place at the Open, he “chilled out, had a couple of cups of tea, and I went to bed, man. I sleep for fun.”
McIlroy picks up a birdie at the 2nd, a superb swinging approach shot setting up a routine putt. He moves to one under par. Elsewhere, defending champion Zach Johnson is under way on the 1st, looking faintly ridiculous in a beanie and big white-rimmed shades. He was right in the hunt before carding 75 yesterday, and starts on one under – one of a huge cluster of players with distant dreams of being in the right spot if it all goes wrong for Stenson and Mickelson.
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Thanks, Scott. Jason Day has a long-range birdie chance on the tricky 5th green, but it wobbles and weaves a couple of feet wide to the right. Thongchai Jaidee passes up a chance for an eagle from five feet, and stays on level par. Only two players out on the course are under par for the week – Andy Sullivan and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters.
Westwood hacks his third up onto 10, but he’s left with a long two putts and the poor drive has cost him a shot there. He’s back to +1. Another birdie for Andy Sullivan, this time at 4, and he’s -2. And Rory’s out. His drive leaks a little into the semi rough down 1, and though he nearly lands his second into the cup, there’s not much in the way of spin and his ball rolls off the back. He lags up for an opening four, and remains at level par for the tournament. He really needs a flying start if he’s going to have any chance whatsoever - obviously he needs the leaders to falter too - and that isn’t what he was after.
Meanwhile, before things start kicking off big style, I’m off to snaffle down a quick bowl of Hamburger Helper, the only food-flavored product to be marketed by a talking golf glove. Niall McVeigh will be your trusty guide for the next hour. See you soon!
A word on the Masters champion Danny Willett. He’s had a bog-average week by his own standards. A birdie at the final hole ensures he finishes with a level-par 71, but he’s well down the field at +7. Still coming to terms with his elevation in status, I’ll be bound. He’ll be back to his brilliant best soon enough. In time for Baltusrol, perhaps? He’s only got a fortnight to regroup. Meanwhile here’s Gerry Brett, who like our man Gregg Bakowski wishes to give Sky’s coverage the thumbs up: “I thought Sky’s feature on the late Barclay Howard earlier today was an absolute stand-out piece, giving a very different perspective on the game and its plummy associations: a real rarity, an authentic working-class hero who won the amateur medal at Troon in 1997, sparred with the greats like Nicklaus, and virtually drank himself out of the game. He returned sober, and supported development of junior golf in Scotland before succumbing to ill health. It was just about right in terms of tone too. I rather doubt the Beeb would have tried something so risqué.” That sounds fascinating. Hopefully Sky will put it on their catch-up service?
Lee Westwood reaches the turn in 32, though he’ll be in a bit of a funk having sent his second at 9 to six feet only to miss the birdie putt. That might explain his lashing a drive at 10 into the heather, then making a mess of the hack out. Whoosh, there goes that momentum. Jason Day birdies 3 to move to level par, while Matt Kuchar joins him there, having responded to bogey at 1 with back-to-back birdies at 3 and 4. And a fast start by Andy Sullivan, with birdies at 1 and 3. He’s -1 overall, and might be ruing that second-round 76 already.
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Ryan Palmer has just holed out from the fairway at 6 with his wedge. One bounce and into the cup, and that’s an eagle which, when added to his birdie at the other early par-five 4th, takes him up to level par for the championship. Jordan Spieth meanwhile has got his jets on since the turn: two 15-foot birdie putts sunk in quick succession, at 10 and now the very testing 11th, and he rises to +2, three under for his round today. And perhaps Jason ‘The Somnambulist’ Dufner has been stirred into raising an eyebrow half an inch or so, a wild emotional reaction to a run of birdies at 3, 5, 6 and 8. He’s level par, and while he’s lost some of his cuddly charm of late, having been overtaken in that respect by the likes of Shane Lowry and Beef - hey, us fat buggers need role models too - you can’t help but adore his insouciant attitude. Laid back, bordering on horizontal. A life lesson for us all. God speed, Somnambulist.
Soomin Lee was mixing it with the leaders on Thursday, after going out in 32 and eventually signing for a 68. But he followed that up with a second-day 77 and a 75 yesterday. And today he’s suffered pretty much from the get-go, starting bogey-bogey-double, and ending with bogey-double-bogey on 15, 16 and 17. That’s an 82, and he joins Kodai Ichihara down at +18. But both have been spared a last-placed finish, because Greg Chalmers appears to have mentally clocked out after that aforementioned double bogey at the Railway hole (11.30am). Two more doubles, at 15 and 18, sandwiched a pair of bogeys at 16 and 17. And that capitulation sees him match Sandy Lyle’s worst-of-week 85, and plummets him to +21. That’s sole possession of 81st position. And it’s a long way home for the Aussie to his base in Texas.
Westwood drives long at 7, then sends a wedge screeching to a halt 18 inches from the flag! A fourth birdie of the day. He’s level par, and looks in the mood to do a little damage to Troon this afternoon. The conditions aren’t quite as dramatically awful as they were 45 minutes or so ago, and a little sun is expected to peek through the clouds later this afternoon, though the wind will always be a factor. So a low score isn’t a total pipe dream, then, as Westwood is proving right now. That’s good news for the chasing pack, who will be harbouring hopes of the pressure getting to both Mickelson and Stenson. It’s a long shot, but at the Open, you never know.
Another birdie for Lee Westwood, who is putting together the sort of final-day round he could have done with at Oakmont last month. A third birdie in his first six holes and he rises to +1. Meanwhile Monty confirms, not quite but kind of, that there’s a fair chance of this being his last Open. “Unless I win the Senior Open and qualify that way, my days are over,” he tells Sky, explicitly adding that he won’t be bothering with pre-qualifying again.
A slight lull in the action at the moment. So what better time to enjoy Gregg Bakowski’s nail-on-head take on Sky’s first punt at the Open? They’ve done a great job on the whole, although sending someone into the stands to cajole embarrassed paying punters to “ooh” and “aah” on cue for supposed comedy effect, as they’ve just done, ten minutes ago, should probably be chalked up as a failed experiment. The sort of painful vox-pop the producers of That’s Life! would have thought twice about 40 years ago. But yes, well done Sky, especially for giving a platform to the informative, entertaining and eccentric Butch Harmon. Mind you, I still miss the great Peter Alliss. So sue me!
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Jordan Spieth finds the front bunker at the Postage Stamp. He splashes out to six feet, but his putter, so deadly last year, lets him down again. He slips back to +4. An opening hole birdie meanwhile for Justin Rose, who knocks his second to five feet and makes no mistake with the putt. He’s +1. And Matt Jones, who whizzed out in 31 on Thursday only to come a cropper at 11 and 12 with a pair of doubles, joins the few players out there in red figures today. A birdie at 4, and he’s +3 overall.
It seems a long time ago now, but Bubba Watson started this championship with five birdies in the first six holes. He never recovered from his subsequent visit to the Coffin bunker at the Postage Stamp, a triple that whipped all the wind from his sails. He’s just birdied the par-five 6th today, and it’s his 16th birdie of the week. Sixteen birdies, and yet he’s +6! It’s fair to say he’s been up and down. He’s never seemed reconciled with the random knocks dealt out by the gods of links golf. Such a shame, because he’s so much fun to watch, and he’d be a very popular champ. At least he made the cut this time.
Another birdie for Rickie Fowler, this time at the par-three 5th. It’d be lovely to see Fowler win this championship at some point. He’s become a student of links golf, having followed Phil Mickelson’s lead by regularly playing the Scottish Open in the lead-up, in order to get his improvisational juices flowing. He’s tied for second and fifth places in recent years. He won’t be finishing so high this year, but it’s all good experience and you’d imagine his time will come soon enough. His penchant for gaudy orange breeks fits in well with classic Open aesthetic, too, this tournament having never looked better than it did during the sartorially adventurous 1970s. Rickie’s +2 by the way.
Some good news for Monty. He won’t finish in last place. Kodai Ichihara - who shot an opening day 69 - has ended his tournament at +18, one shot worse than the home hero, after signing for his second 78 in a row. (He shot 77 on Friday, dear completists.) Ichihara might still be saved the ignominy of ending the week 81st out of 81: the Aussie veteran Greg Chalmers has recently run up a quadruple-bogey 8 on the treacherous Railway hole, and is +15 with four to play. Meanwhile Adam Scott hits his second at 9 to four feet. A birdie, and he’s reached the turn in 34. He’s +3. Lee Westwood makes it two birdies in the first three holes at 3; he’s +2, and the highest-placed player out on the course right now. So it is possible to put a score together, despite this increasingly cold, wet and windy weather. God speed, everyone!
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Furyk’s partner today, the two-time major-winning 22-year-old Jordan Spieth, eagled 4 as well. He’s +3, having parred 5 without too much fuss as Furyk imploded. Other players out there in credit today: KT Kim (+3) who has reached the turn in 34 after birdies at 4 and 6; Rickie Fowler (+3) who stroked in a 20-footer from the back of 3; the aforementioned Lee Westwood (+3) and Furyk (+4); Adam Scott (+4) with birdies at 3 and 6, and a bogey at 7; Harold Varner III (+4) who bogeyed 2 but birdied 4 and 7; and Ryan Evans (+6) who has reached the turn in 35 after birdies at 4 and 7 and a bogey at 8. So shots are out there to be picked up. Just not many. Everyone’s jumping into their waterproofs, too, which won’t help. Links golf! The Open! All part of the charm.
So here’s how golf can thrill, then whip the rug from under your feet immediately afterwards. It’s been a fast start for Jim Furyk, who birdied 2 and then eagled 4. He’s zipped up the leaderboard to +2. But his tee shot at the par-three 5th gets caught in the wind and dumped into the bunker front right. It’s plugged, right up against the lip. Oh dear. He takes his medicine and decides to splash out sideways. But even that’s a test and a half, and he can’t get it out. He’s got a shot out towards the green now, but only into the meat of it, well away from the flag. He’s got a 30-footer for bogey, and can’t make it. A double, and all the good work at 4 is undone in a couple of minutes. And look, here comes the rain! Gentleman Jim will be thrilled with life at the moment.
It’s breezy at Troon. Breaking news! That suggests scoring isn’t likely to be low, especially as the winds are whipping across the course, though they might ease a little as the afternoon develops. There’s probably little point trying to second-guess it. Still, it can sometimes help: a huge gust has just blown Lee Westwood’s ball, teetering on the edge of the cup at 1, into the hole for birdie. He shakes his head like Ringo Starr circa 1963 and pretends to fall over, getting an easy laugh from the gallery.
Here we go, then. The opening day started with Troon member Colin Montgomerie hitting the first tee shot of the 2016 Open Championship, so it’s only fitting that the final round began with the eight-time European number one in action. Starting the day in last place at +12, he was out first, early doors, playing on his own with a marker. There’s a fair chance this could be his last-ever Open. No symbolic, valedictory pose on the Swilcan Bridge at St Andrews for Monty, a la Nicklaus or Watson, but then that’s what happens when you don’t get over the line in a major. If this is the end of his Open career, one of the game’s great nearly men finishes it appropriately: a gorgeous iron creamed pin high to eight feet, and the birdie putt missed. He taps in for par and a 76. Such a shame the big man never claimed one of the majors. It really did look like he had done it after draining that monster on 17 at Winged Foot in 2006. He just wanted it too much. Ah well.
Speaking of Nicklaus and Watson, here’s Gary Naylor: “You’ve got me all misty-eyed with that evocation of Turnberry 1977. I watched it unfold with my father, who was a great admirer of both golfers, as much for their fundamental decency as for their skills. I was too young (at 14) to have gained the perspective required to appreciate all that was going on, but as an example of grace under pressure, it’s hard to beat and, like so much else that forms one’s view of the world, seeped into my soul without me knowing it. I still owe Nicklaus and Watson now.”
Thirty-nine years ago, give or take a week, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus duelled in the sun on the Ailsa Course at Turnberry. The battle became an instant legend, the most famous day’s play in Open Championship history. The pair were neck and neck all week, trading birdies, big drives, creamed long irons, creative chips, wily bump-and-runs, nerveless clutch putts and the occasional persimmon driver hit off the parched deck. They both shot 68-70-65, and remained bound together during a final birdie-strewn round until Nicklaus missed a fairly simple putt on 17.
Advantage Watson, but only just, and what followed stands unquestionably as the greatest mano-a-mano hole ever played in tournament golf. Watson creamed his one-iron off the tee, straight down the middle. Nicklaus drove into gorse down the right, then watched in impotent horror as Watson clipped his 7-iron to 18 inches. Could Nicklaus even get a backswing from where he was? Even if he could, was there much point? He took a lash at an almost unplayable ball, his swing described as “animalistic” by Peter Alliss on the BBC commentary, and found the green. Then he drained the monster putt for birdie. Suddenly Watson’s tiddler for the win looked a far trickier prospect.
Nicklaus, ever the sportsman, calmed the crowd he had just whipped into a frenzy. In silence, the tension crackling and practically unbearable, a man once foolishly derided as Chicken held his nerve and tapped in for the greatest victory. Watson had won by a single stroke, shooting 65 to Nicklaus’s 66 on the final day. Oblivious to the tumult around them, the pair of gladiators walked off arm in arm. Hugh McIlvanney, writing in the Observer, could not disguise his awe: “Nicklaus was a golfer in control of his technique, in control of the ball, and in the end in control of everything but Tom Watson.”
More please, Henrik and Phil! No pressure.
We’ll get going at 11am BST. Meanwhile here are the third-round standings (with quite a few potential first-time major winners in position for a charge should Stenson and Mickelson get too caught up in the duel)...
-12: Stenson
-11: Mickelson
-6: Haas
-5: Johnston Beef
-4: Holmes
-3: Stricker, Finau, Kjeldsen
-2: Reed, Garcia, Schwartzel, Bradley
And today’s tee times (all BST)...
7.40am: Colin Montgomerie
7.50am: Kodai Ichihara, Kevin Kisner
8am: Charley Hoffman, Marco Dawson
8.10am: Mark O’Meara, Daniel Summerhays
8.20am: Scott Hend, Patton Kizzire
8.30am: Yuta Ikeda, Greg Chalmers
8.40am: Branden Grace, Soomin Lee
8.50am: James Hahn, Ryan Evans
9am: Paul Lawrie, Danny Willett
9.10am: Zander Lombard, Harris English
9.25am: Kevin Chappell, K.T. Kim
9.35am: Adam Scott, Jamie Donaldson
9.45am: Richard Sterne, Harold Varner III
9.55am: Marc Leishman, Justin Thomas
10.05am: Jon Rahm, Graeme McDowell
10.15am: Jim Furyk, Jordan Spieth
10.25am: Bubba Watson, Anirban Lahiri
10.35am: Rickie Fowler, Russell Knox
10.45am: Matt Jones, Ryan Moore
10.55am: Lee Westwood, Luke Donald
11.10am: Byeong Hun An, Jason Dufner
11.20am: Darren Clarke, Ryan Palmer
11.30am: Alex Noren, Padraig Harrington
11.40am: David Howell, Justin Rose
11.50am: Nicolas Colsaerts, Matt Kuchar
12pm: Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matthew Southgate
12.10pm: Andy Sullivan, Jason Day
12.20pm: Thomas Pieters, Thongchai Jaidee
12.30pm: Brandt Snedeker, Haydn Porteous
12.40pm: Martin Kaymer, Francesco Molinari
12.55pm: Rory McIlroy, Emiliano Grillo
1.05pm: Webb Simpson, Gary Woodland
1.15pm: Miguel Angel Jimenez, Zach Johnson
1.25pm: Kevin Na, Dustin Johnson
1.35pm: Jim Herman, Tyrrell Hatton
1.45pm: Keegan Bradley, Charl Schwartzel
1.55pm: Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed
2.05pm: Soren Kjeldsen, Tony Finau
2.15pm: Steve Stricker, J.B. Holmes
2.25pm: Andrew Johnston, Bill Haas
2.35pm: Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson
Updated
