Henrik Stenson, left, Phil Mickelson were in the final pairing of the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland. (Getty)
Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson entered the final round of the 145th Open Championship well ahead of the rest of the field.
And when it was all said and done Sunday at Royal Troon, Stenson used a dominating round to win his first Claret Jug.
Stenson used a birdie putt on No. 18 to finish at 20-under par, three strokes ahead of Mickelson (-17).
Stenson shot a final-round 8-under 63 to finish at 20-under 264. Mickelson had a great day, too, firing a 6-under.
The victory was the 40-year-old’s first major championship and he became the first Swede to win The Open.
Stenson entered the round 1 shot ahead of Lefty and the two went back-and-forth for much of the last round. Then Stenson, ranked 6th in the world, birdied 4 of the final 5 holes to take control.
Congratulations to Champion Golfer of the Year, Henrik Stenson. #TheOpen
The putt that won it. Well done Henrik. #TheOpen
The winner of the gold medal and the Champion Golfer of the Year… #TheOpen
Henrik Stenson’s name is engraved on the Claret Jug. #TheOpen
High five for the leader. #TheOpen
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