As Royal Troon plays host to The Open Championship 2024, The Golfing Gazette looks back at the last time it was held in Scotland, where it was Henrik Stenson vs Phil Mickelson in 2016.
The last edition of The Open staged at Royal Troon was in 2016, and the 145th edition will be remembered most for the pairing who battled it out in the final round for the Claret Jug. It was Henrik Stenson against Phil Mickelson.
A contest that had so many twists and turns, this battle highlighted one of the showcase moments at Royal Troon.
Henrik Stenson vs Phil Mickelson
The final day began with Stenson a shot ahead, but the lead changed hands instantly on the opening hole.
Stenson hit a wayward approach and three-putted for a bogey, while Mickelson calmly putting for birdie with the lead changing hands, not for the first time in the day.
Stenson swiftly tied things up on the second hole, and by the fourth hole, the pair were seven shots clear of anybody else, showcasing the ability of both players in this two-horse race.
Mickelson’s sliced drive hit a spectator on hole seven but got away with a par, and as for Stenson, he shone on hole eight titled ‘Postage Stamp’, sinking a 20-foot putt to take the lead.
A memorable back-nine at Royal Troon
Onto the back nine and Stenson struggled on a hole called ‘one of the scariest holes in the world’ by a former US Open champion.
Stenson three-putted on the Railway hole to card a bogey and drop back to 16-under. He was faring ok, but then came the moment of magic.
He landed a 50-footer from just off the green for birdie, and all of a sudden, the Swede had a commanding two-shot lead.
Stenson takes the victory…
The fist pump after this magnificent shot highlighted the importance of the putt, and from that moment, Stenson didn’t look back.
Stenson had three shots from 20 feet to win, but needed just one to win the Open.
A stunning tenth birdie of the round put him on 20-under-par for the week, a total that hasn’t been surpassed in The Open since.
Alex Noren and Ludvig Aberg are two Swedes in this year’s field looking to replicate their compatriot’s success, but could someone else surpass this total in the 2024 edition at Royal Troon?
Can anyone from The Open in 2016 win it in 2024?
Outside of Stenson and Mickelson, there were other notable names in the top ten of the 2016 leaderboard.
Rory McIlroy tied for fifth place and will look to avenge his major loss last month. McIlroy also has motivation from basketball great Michael Jordan, as the two exchanged messages after the US Open.
Tyrell Hatton tied with McIlroy in fifth place in 2016, and Hatton exchanged some words with Billy Horschel after arriving at Royal Troon earlier in the week.
An emerging English star from the 2016 Open was Andrew Johnston, as ‘Beef’ went viral over that summer for his humor and eighth-placed finish. Unfortunately, Johnston hasn’t competed in The Open since 2019.
And finally, a notable American who finished high in the 2016 leaderboard is two-time major winner Dustin Johnson, who will be looking to add winning The Open to his long list of achievements including The Masters and US Open.
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