Swede dreams for Henrik as he leads Lefty into final round
HENRIK STENSON does not want to be a golfing bridesmaid any longer as he aims to end his long wait to bag a Major.
He takes a one-stroke lead into today’s final round of the 145th Open Championship after firing an excellent three-under 68 in more testing conditions at Royal Troon.
That was enough to see him leapfrog playing partner Phil Mickelson, who shot 70, as the pair turn the battle for the Claret Jug into a personal duel.
Stenson would become the first ever Swede to win a Major and he’s had seven top-five finishes already without quite getting over the line.
Mickelson has five to his name, including Open glory at Muirfield in 2013. On that occasion, Stenson was second and the 40-year-old would love to reverse that outcome this afternoon.
“There is only one thing that matters,” he said. “I have a second and two thirds at The Open, so I’m not looking for any more of those finishes.
“I know Phil is not going to back down and I’m certainly going to try not to back down either. So it should be an exciting afternoon.
“I was up there at Muirfield and Phil won it very deservingly. It would be great to hand one back to him but I know it will take some good golf.”
Mickelson was proud at how he produced a third sub-par score of the week, despite admitting that he was nowhere near his best.
There were glimpses of some of his classic short game but he wants to rediscover some of the magic that took him to within an inch of a Major-record 62 on Thursday.
“Today could have got away from me,” he said. “Instead I shot under par and kept myself right in there, so I’m proud of that.
“My coach, Andrew Getson, and I have some work to do to get my swing to where it was the first couple of days and it shouldn’t be too far off.
“Hopefully I’ll be dialled back in for the final round.”
With American Bill Haas ending the day six shots behind Stenson in third and England’s Andrew Johnston a further stroke back, Moving Day quickly had the feel of a two-horse race.
It took just one hole for Stenson to draw level at the top with Mickelson as he rolled in a lovely birdie putt.
Both men showed great short game skills on the third to make matching birdies as Stenson got up and down from a bunker while Mickelson produced one of his customary flob shots.
And Stenson’s majestic start saw him take the lead after another birdie at the fourth.
But there were two chinks in the Swede’s armour as dropped shots at the sixth and the 100-yard Postage Stamp saw Mickelson regain the lead.
The American produced a brilliant par save at the 12th after driving into trouble as his fist pump revealed its importance and he then doubled his lead with a fine birdie at the next.
But that advantage was gone within a hole following Stenson’s fine two and a three- putt from Mickelson.
Another classic wedge shot set up a birdie at 16 to edge Lefty back in front before a pushed tee-shot at the par-three 17th proved costly.
This time, he couldn’t escape with a par and when Stenson found another birdie two, the Swede had snatched the lead back.
That one-stroke advantage was maintained as both men scrambled pars at the 18th.
As Stenson and Mickelson were waging their own personal duel at the top of the leaderboard, Rory McIlroy’s hopes were in tatters – just like his three-wood – after a twoover 73.
He threw his club into the ground at 16 after an errant shot and watched as the head snapped off and went bounding up the fairway.
“The head came loose on my three- wood earlier in the week. I had to get it reglued,” he explained.
“What happened was probably partly to do with that and partly the throw as well. I’ll get it reshafted and all will be well in the morning.
“It wasn’t frustration. I had let one go right on the previous hole with a three-iron and I did the same thing.
“No one likes to make the same mistake twice and that’s what happened.”