GOLDEN TROON

Nicklaus-lauded duel sets up for great PGA

TURNBERRY, Scotland — Correspondence came late Sunday night via Jack Nicklaus’ Facebook feed. And, because of who it came from and the subject matter, it was not a message to be taken lightly. To the contrary, it was rather powerful. It read: “I was fortunate to watch every second of today’s f inal round of the Open Championship, and I thought it was fantastic. Phil Mickelson played one of the best rounds I have ever seen played in the Open and Henrik Stenson just played better—he played one of the greatest rounds I have ever seen.

“Phil certainly has nothing to be ashamed of because he played wonderfully. Henrik played well from beginning to end. He drove the ball well; his iron game was great; his short game was wonderful; and his putting was great. Henrik was simply terrific. To win your first major championship is something special in and of itself, but to do it in the fashion Henrik did it in, makes for something very special and incredibly memorable.

“I’m proud of and happy for Henrik. Some in the media have already tried to compare today’s final round to 1977 at Turnberry, with Tom Watson and me in what they called the “duel in the sun.” I thought we played great and had a wonderful match. On that day, Tom got me, 65-66. Our final round was really good, but theirs was even better. What a great match today.’’

When then Golden Bear Jack Nicklaus, given his greatness understandably known as being someone with an ego (albeit not in any way an overbearing one), touts a performance as “better’’ than his, that’s an eye-opening compliment of the highest order.

The classic match-playlike showdown between Stenson and Mickelson Sunday at Royal Troon, won by Stenson when his final-round 63 bettered Mickelson’s 65 and left him with a record 20-under winning score, invoked memories of the infamous “Duel in the Sun’’ Open Championship in 1977 at Turnberry between Nicklaus and Watson, who captured the Claret Jug that year with a birdie on No. 18 to win by one.

Is it possible for the PGA Championship, to be played next week at Baltusrol, to be as lucky as the British Open was on Sunday with its wall-to-wall drama?

If so, golf fans in the New York metropolitan area are in store for something special, because what took place Sunday on the Ayrshire Coast, which sits about 25 miles south of Turnberry, was once-in-ageneration stuff.

There is much to look forward to at Baltusrol, beginning with what the game’s top-four ranked players have in store as an encore to what was a disappointing, underachieving week at Troon. Neither No. 1 ranked Jason Day, U.S. Open winner Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth nor Rory McIlroy was a factor in the British Open. All made the cut, but all struggled and none threatened to win.

Day looked like he was fighting his swing in the first couple of rounds. Spieth was fighting the press over what he perceived to be an unfair and unrealistic expectations placed on him after he won two majors in 2015. McIlroy was fighting his frustration over a prolonged period for him without a major, even breaking a fairway wood during Saturday’s round.

Every one of them has a score to settle next week at Baltusrol at the year’s final major championship — a last chance to make 2016 special.

What took place at Troon is evidence that Mickelson is likely to be very much a factor at Baltusrol, the place where he won his second career major title when he won the 2005 PGA Championship.

“I’ve got a lot of special memories going back to Baltusrol in ‘05,’’ he said.

Now the question is: Will next week at Baltusrol be as memorable as last week was at Troon?