Mickelson and Stenson Battle at The Open at Royal Troon As the 2017 British Open kicks off, let’s look back at last year’s tournament. Do you remember the exciting battle and finish that Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson engaged in as they each charged toward the Claret Jug?

An Incredible Duel

Mickelson opened the tournament with a 63, which tied the record for the lowest score to ever have been shot in a major. Going into the final round, Stenson led Mickelson by one stroke. With Mickelson breathing down his neck, Stenson managed to hold off Mickelson’s charge, besting Mickelson’s bogey-free 65 on the day.

Stenson Unstoppable

In the final round, Stenson played one of the best rounds of golf ever in a major championship, shooting a 63. Geoff Ogilvy, who himself won a major at the 2006 U.S. Open, stated, “Tour guys are usually slow to give amazing praise. But anyone who would think about golf or played Troon or played the last few groups of a major with a chance to win would be borderline speechless. Just watch the tape. No words are going to do it justice. Go play Troon one time, then sit down and watch that Sunday and tell me if you have any words to describe how good that is. Speechless, I would say.”

Stenson knew how well he was playing that week. On Friday, before shooting a 65, he told his swing coach “This is THE week.” It turns out he was right.

Fellow Players Impressed by the Two

Rickie Fowler stated, “I was well aware of how tough it was playing. What him and Phil did in the final round was a clinic. They got into a completely different tournament than anyone else was in. You can get into those situations and forget where you’re at. You start feeding off each other. For that to be in a final round of a major, the British Open, it’s not going to happen much.”

J.B. Holmes, who finished 11 shots back of second-place Mickelson, stated, “They both played amazing, it was great golf. I remember looking at the scoreboard and they were both taking off. They were playing great and making putts. Somebody usually does it every day out here at some point; it just happened to be both those guys almost all day. It was a rare occasion.”

Justin Thomas, who himself shot a 63 at a U.S. Open, said, “What him and Phil did is unbelievable and the rounds that they had. And to do it on Sunday when’s someone chasing you down is way more impressive than my 63, I would say. When you’re that good a golfer as Henrik and you’re on, it doesn’t matter where you are.”

Looking for More Competition on the Course?

If you’re a golfer in search of increased competition, join Westlake Golf Course’s Mens Club. Established in 1968, the Westlake Village Men’s Golf Club plays every Wednesday and Saturday year-round. Two of the six goals of the club are

  • To provide, for each member, an opportunity to participate in competitive golf
  • To afford a convenient and authoritative body to govern tournaments and other golfing events held at the Westlake Village Golf Course and other courses

To learn more, visit the Men’s Club website and submit your membership application today!