At Troon, the Swede racked up 10 birdies while the American notched five birdies and an eagle. In the intense atmosphere of Sunday at The Open, they achieved a remarkable better-ball total of 59.
Nicklaus remarked, “Our final round was impressive, but theirs was even more exceptional.”
Watson added, “What transpired at Troon was superior simply because they played better. Their scores reflected that.”
Considering Watson shot 65-65 over the weekend at Turnberry and Nicklaus followed with 65-66, this was truly the ultimate compliment.
With the endorsement of golfing legends, the level of play at Troon surpassed what we previously considered the peak brilliance of Turnberry.
Nick Faldo expressed his awe, saying, “I’ve never witnessed perfection like that,” referring to the match between Stenson and Mickelson.
Not only did Stenson claim the Claret Jug, but he also etched his name into the annals of Open history in multiple ways.
He achieved the lowest winning total of all time at 264, a record he still holds. With a score of 20 under par, he tied for the lowest score relative to par.
He matched the lowest round recorded in major championship history and became one of only two players, alongside Johnny Miller, to shoot a final round of 63 to win a major; Miller accomplished this 43 years earlier.
Mickelson, meanwhile, notched the lowest score ever recorded by a runner-up in Open history, a feat later matched by Jordan Spieth when he finished second to Colin Morikawa at Royal St George’s in 2021.
Stenson’s journey throughout the week was nothing short of legendary.
On Monday, he walked the course for the first time under rainy conditions, opting to leave his clubs behind, preferring to simply take in the environment.
On Tuesday, he played the front nine, and on Wednesday, he tackled the back nine.
“I had seen everything I needed,” he shared with Golf Digest. “I was determined. Earlier that week, I lost a close friend [Mike Gerbich, an old companion from his Dubai days].
“Mike’s son had shared a message on his father’s Facebook, saying, ‘Go win this for Mike.’ That touched me deeply and brought some tears.
“He became my motivation that week. Mentally, that empowered me. I didn’t allow myself to dwell on mistakes or misfortunes.”
In remembrance of his friend, Stenson tied a ribbon around his cap.
Mickelson started strong on Thursday, and when he used a six-iron headed into the wind on 18, he set himself up for a near record-breaking putt for a 62.
With a slight uphill and a couple of inches of left break, Mickelson was convinced he had made it. “It was right in the center with four inches to go,” he reflected.
He was poised to make history as the first to shoot 62 in a major, but it narrowly missed the hole.
Close examinations revealed that his ball struck a minute pebble, likely debris from a bunker, causing it to stay out. A fantastic round of 63, yet he was visibly disappointed.
Leading by five strokes after the first day, Mickelson’s lead diminished as Stenson shot a 65 against Mickelson’s 69, leaving just one stroke difference heading into the weekend.
On Saturday, they ended with 68-70 in favor of Stenson, giving him a one-shot advantage with Sunday looming.
With 30mph winds early on Sunday, the R&A decided to make the pins easier. Afterward, the winds calmed, leaving the course which was untenable for most, yet ripe for the two leaders.
For the rest, it still posed challenges; only 13 players scored under 70, with Rory McIlroy’s 67 being the best. The top two were in a league of their own.
Comparatively, the first two holes were won with birdies, the third was halved in a birdie, the fourth secured with an eagle, and the sixth halved in a birdie.
Both players made the turn in 32, immediately following that with a birdie each at the 10th. Mickelson leveled the game at the 11th, but Stenson surged forward from there.
He birdied the 14th and 15th – a fantastic 50-foot putt giving him a two-shot lead – followed by birdies on the 16th and 17th, showcasing remarkable skill on what are often considered the hardest finishing holes in Open history.
With a two-shot lead at the 18th tee, he pulled out a three-wood, which Mickelson’s caddie, Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay, said “was crushed.”
“It launched off like a missile,” Stenson recounted in that Golf Digest feature, heading straight towards the bunker that famously concluded Greg Norman’s 1989 Open play-off.
A three-wood should ideally keep him away from the sand, but fueled by adrenaline, the ball flew as if propelled.
“There’s always potential for a two-shot swing on the last hole,” noted Mickelson. “When he struck that three-wood, heading directly towards the bunker, we all feared it might be a disaster.”
Stenson’s heart raced until he spotted what he affectionately termed “a little white egg” just 18 inches in front of the bunker. He enjoyed a flawless lie; it felt as though luck had favored him.
From there, he made the birdie putt and clinched victory by three strokes.
Mickelson, meanwhile, delivered the finest final round ever posted by a player who did not win the Open.
In the Open’s long history, his total of 267 remains bettered only by two players – 2021’s Morikawa and Stenson himself.
Regardless of the ongoing LIV controversy—and the debates it sparked— the extraordinary brilliance of 2016 will forever remain etched in memory.
