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Top Five Final Rounds in Majors, excluding Tiger Woods in 2019 at Augusta

By Richie Randolph

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 14: Tiger Woods (L) of the United States celebrates on the 18th green after winning the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 14: Tiger Woods (L) of the United States celebrates on the 18th green after winning the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /
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TROON, SCOTLAND – JULY 17: Henrik Stenson of Sweden celebrates victory on the 18th green with Phil Mickelson of the United States as wife Emma Stenson looks on after the final round on day four of the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon on July 17, 2016 in Troon, Scotland. Henrik Stenson of Sweden finished 20 under for the tournament to claim the Open Championship. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TROON, SCOTLAND – JULY 17: Henrik Stenson of Sweden celebrates victory on the 18th green with Phil Mickelson of the United States as wife Emma Stenson looks on after the final round on day four of the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon on July 17, 2016 in Troon, Scotland. Henrik Stenson of Sweden finished 20 under for the tournament to claim the Open Championship. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

#3: 2016 British Open

The famous ‘Duel in the Sun’ pitted legends Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson against each other at the 1977 British Open. The two icons faced off at Turnberry, with Watson winning by a stroke following a final round filled with incredible shot-making and clutch putting. Thirty-nine years later, Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson had a final round matchup that rivaled the legendary afternoon at the 2016 British Open.

The setting for this duel was Royal Troon in Scotland. Phil led through the first two rounds, but a third round 68 moved Stenson to 12-under and a one shot lead over Mickelson. With Lefty five shots clear of the third place, it looked to be a Mano-on-mano battle between the two forty-something golfers.

The Steely Swede shook off an opening bogey to make five birdies on the front nine, while Mickelson kept pace with an opening birdie and an eagle to remain one behind. They were tied through thirteen holes until Stenson absolutely went off. He birdied three straight, punctuated by a 51-foot birdie at 15 to give him a two-shot lead.

A birdie on the 18th gave ‘The Iceman’ a three-shot win, shooting a final round 63 and setting the major championship scoring record at twenty-under par.

The sheer number of birdies and stellar play was incredible for the viewers, and the broadcast focused on these two combatants because no one else was remotely close. J.B. Holmes finished in 3rd, an astonishing eleven shots behind ‘Phil the Thrill’. This Sunday finish did not have the chaos typically seen in the majors, but Stenson and Mickelson combined to give fans some of the best golf ever.

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