7 Days to Go: Revisiting the Greatest Duel of the Decade
· Major Golf Hub
Seven days to go. As we prepare for The Open 2026, we revisit the historic 2016 duel between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson at Royal Troon.
With exactly seven days until the first tee shot echoes across the dunes for The Open Championship 2026, the anticipation has reached a fever pitch. As the golf world descends upon the links once more, we begin our week-long countdown by looking back at the decade that was.
While the last ten years have provided us with masterclasses from the likes of Jordan Spieth at Royal Birkdale and the emotional triumph of Shane Lowry at Royal Portrush, one duel stands head and shoulders above the rest. To find the most memorable moment of the last decade, we must look back to 2016 at Royal Troon: The Duel in the Sun II.
It was a Sunday that defied the laws of physics and the pressures of major championship golf. Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson didn’t just play a round of golf; they engaged in a heavyweight prize fight that left the rest of the field in a different zip code. Entering the final round, the two were separated by one stroke, with the third-place golfer six shots back. By the end of the day, Stenson and Mickelson finished 14 and 11 shots clear of third place, respectively.
The golf played that afternoon was historic. Stenson’s final-round 63 remains one of the greatest closing rounds in the history of the sport. It wasn't just that he won; it was how he won. Usually, a player of Mickelson’s caliber shooting a 65 on Sunday at an Open is a guaranteed victory lap. Instead, "Lefty" had to watch as Stenson poured in birdie after birdie, including a monstrous 50-foot putt on the 15th that effectively sealed the Swede's fate as the Champion Golfer of the Year.
Stenson's winning total of 20-under-par set a new record for the lowest score in relation to par in a major at the time. It was a display of ball-striking purity that we may not see again for another generation.
What made this moment the most memorable of the decade wasn't just the quality of the shots, but the mutual respect between two titans. In an era often defined by high-tech equipment and power hitting, Troon 2016 was a reminder that the Claret Jug is won with nerves of steel and mid-range clinical excellence.
As we look toward the 2026 edition, the question remains: Can anyone replicate that "Troon magic"? The links are ready, the grandstands are packed, and in seven days, a new chapter of history will be written.
Stay tuned tomorrow as our 6-day countdown continues, focusing on the dark horses ready to shake up the leaderboard.