The Roar
The Roar

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It's Henrik Stenson, Phil Mickelson, and daylight at Royal Troon

Phil Mickelson finished behind Henrik Stenson in the race for the British Open.
Expert
17th July, 2016
0

In chilly, windy conditions at the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon, Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson, at the tail of the field, battled for the lead in the third round in virtual match-play.

Stenson took the lead early on the front line, Mickelson regained it, but the critical hole was 17 where Stenson birdied and Mickelson bogeyed.

That two-shot swing gave the Swede the lead and both parred the last – Stenson a 68 with five birdies and two bogeys, Mickelson a 70 with three and two.

The day started with Mickelson at 10-under, Stenson (9), Keegan Bradley (7), Soren Kjeldsen (7), defending champion Zach Johnson (5), with Sergio Garcia, Tony Finau, Bill Haas, Charle Schwartzel, and Andrew Johnston all at 4-under, making up the top 10.

It finished with Stenson (12), Mickelson (11), Haas (6), Johnstone (5), Steve Stricker (3), Finau (3), Kjeldsen (3), Garcia (2), Patrick Reed (2), Schwartzel (2), and Bradley (2).

First up overnight Stenson, looking for his first major in his 42nd appearance, started with a three birdie blitz in the first four holes to Mickelson’s sole birdie to take the lead at 12-under for the tournament.

Stenson couldn’t sustain the onslaught with two bogeys to turn in 35, as did Mickelson with that one birdie – Mickelson led by a shot at 11-under.

Next best Bill Haas was five shots away at that stage.

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The contender to fall way today was the normally consistent Dane Kjeldsen who turned in even par 36 with three birdies and three birdies, but the start of the homeward nine was disastrous with a double, and three bogeys for a 75.

The two movers on moving day were 49-year-old Steve Stricker, and the big-hitting JB Holmes.

Stricker carded four birdies and two bogeys going out, and a birdie on the back nine to share the day’s best 68 with Stenson, while Holmes had four birdies on the front nine, and two bogeys on the back for a 69.

The heavyweights didn’t make any progress.

Jason Day carded four birdies going out but four bogeys going home for 71 and 1-over for the tournament.

US Open champion Dustin Johnson became a threat with three birdies going out, but blew his chance with a triple and a bogey on the homeward nine for a 72 and 1-under.

Jordan Spieth’s problem has been the flat stick with 91 putts in three rounds. He started today with four birdies in seven holes, but that was that, The rest of the round went the other way with a double and three bogeys for a 72 and 5-over for the tournament,

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Rory McIlroy started bogey, par, bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie to turn in 37 and with just one bogey on the back nine he carded 73 to be even.

Bubba Watson had three birdies and two bogeys going out, but a triple, a bogey, and two birdies on the back nine were costly for a 72 and 5-over.

Adam Scott bogeyed the first and had two birdies to the turn, but two doubles and a bogey on the back nine wrecked his day for a 76 and 5-over.

Rickie Fowler turned even with two birdies and two bogeys, but a quadruple bogey at 11 and two more bogeys led to a 76 and 5-over.

Leaderboard after three rounds
12-under – Henrik Stenson.
11-under – Phil Mickelson.
6-under – Bill Haas.
5-under – Andrew Johnstone.
4-under – JB Holmes.
3-under – Steve Stricker, Tony Finau. Soren Kjeldsen.
2-under – Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, Charle Schwartzel, Keegan Bradley.

Australians
1-over – Jason Day.
4-over – Matt Jones.
5-over – Adam Scott, Marc Leishman.
7-over – Greg Chalmers.
8-over – Scott Hend.

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