Stenson Wins First Major at Royal Troon

Stenson Wins First Major at Royal Troon
Henrik Stenson celebrates victory as he kisses the Claret Jug on the the 18th green after the final round on day four of the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon in Troon, Scotland on July 17, 2016. Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
M. James Ward
Updated:

TROON, SCOTLAND. When Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus went head-to-head 39 years ago at Turnberry during their epic meeting it was quickly dubbed, “The Duel in the Sun” for the sunny dry weather the event featured. Both men were at the height of their games and it was Watson besting Nicklaus with stunning play on the weekend rounds—shooting consecutive 65s to edge the Golden Bear by one stroke while setting a record Open aggregate total of 268 at that time. Few ever thought such an incredible shot-making display would ever be rivaled—let alone surpassed.

Henrik Stenson earned his first major and did so in a fashion that will long be remembered. The 40-year-old Swede entered the final round one stroke ahead of American Phil Mickelson. The margin between the top of the leaderboard and the next golfer after Lefty was six strokes further back. At the end of Sunday’s final round the 3rd place finisher would be 14 strokes behind Stenson—the first Swede to ever capture a major championship. In the 1977 Open it was Hubert Green—the 3rd place finisher at the Turnberry Open—who finished 10 shots by Watson and amusingly said, “I won the golf tournament. I don’t know what game those other two guys were playing.”

Henrik Stenson (L) celebrates victory on the 18th green with Phil Mickelson after an epic final round between the two. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Henrik Stenson (L) celebrates victory on the 18th green with Phil Mickelson after an epic final round between the two. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
M. James Ward
M. James Ward
Author
Ward is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and Met Golf Writers Association. He has covered over 100 major championships and 12 Ryder Cup Matches. His golf acumen extends to architecture/travel, equipment, apparel, and general interest stories as well as in-depth interviews with the leading participants and influencers in the sport.
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