Stenson Scorches Royal Troon, Raises the Claret Jug
No, they don't need to use orange golf balls in Sweden.
They may have long winters, but the long-daylight summers make up for it.
In fact, linksters at a few of its 480 courses can make tee times 'round the clock, like at Björkliden, 'way the hell and gone above the Arctic Circle.
It's doubtful Henrik Stenson ever did the midnight thing. He was born and raised down south in Göteborg, Sweden's second-largest city. However, he honed his craft in the USA, and now, he's sealed his legacy in Scotland.
Yes. 63. Tying a course record set in the first round by none other than Phil Mickelson.
Who'd have thought ol' Lefty would be yesterday's papers that quickly?
This was an Open like few others.
The final two rounds were essentially match play. Stenson and Mickelson were the final pairing on Saturday, and they began slightly ahead of the pack:
The two leaders couldn't have been more even if Stenson had been hitting from the left side. He could've if he hadn't switched to right in his teens.
They pushed each other to levels of excellence, approaching magnificence. The pack simply couldn't keep up.
Neither could the record book:
- Start with that 63 as a low round;
- His 12-under beat Tiger Woods' -11 for the Open in 2000;
- The 20-under for the tourney tied Jason Day's feat from last year at the PGA;
- He compiled the lowest aggregate score ever in a major at 262, but keep in mind Royal Troon is a par-71 course; and
- He holds the record for Swedish men who have won majors ... with one.
