Troon was a topper
The stands are long down at Royal Troon and perhaps the greatest ever finish to The Open is a fading memory.
A new champion in Henrik Stenson, a new record winning score of - 20 and a runner- up in Phil Mickelson — whose - 17 would have been enough to have won 140 of the 144 past Championships.
Club captain Martin Cheyne was bursting with pride as he handed the Claret Jug to the super Swede.
And there was praise for course manager Billy McLachlan and his staff, who made it a contest to remember.
The pairing of Stenson and Mickelson over the final 36 holes brought back memories of the 1977 Open when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus fought their famous ‘ Duel in the Sun’ at Turnberry. But this ‘ Duel in the Wind’ topped it.
Stenson’s rounds of 68, 65, 68 and 63 upstaged Mickelson, who was third at Royal Troon in 2004, by three shots.
Mickelson, golf’s best- known leftie, gave it his all. He led from the front on day one with a 63 which came within an inch of a new Open record.
He finished with a sizzling 65 but still went home the bridesmaid. For Troon’s own Colin Montgomerie, it was an Open to remember.
He had the honour of playing the first shot to get the event underway and was first out again on Sunday morning when he finished with a five over 76 to end on 17 over.
Monty, who was accompanied by head pro Kieron Stevenson, acting as marker on his final round, claimed: “I’ve always enjoyed the whole theatre of the thing. Hopefully this won’t be my last.”