OPEN: History beckons Mickelson & Stenson

BY BRENDAN JAMES at ROYAL TROON

THE game plan was as simple as its gets in Open Championship golf. Stay out of trouble and let your pursuers take all the risks.

Armed with that train of thought, Phil Mickelson capitalised on his record equaling opening round of 63 with a business-like two under 69 to hold the halfway lead at Royal Troon, by one stroke from Sweden’s Henrik Stenson.

Phil Mickelson tees off on the 10th hole as rain starts to fall.
PHOTO: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.

Mickelson’s play was masterful as he drew on his 24 years of experience as a tour professional to avoid Royal Troon’s penal bunkers and remain patient in wet, gusty conditions.

“I really enjoy the challenge that this weather and these elements provide,” said Mickelson, who already boasts a resume of 42 tour titles including five major victories.

“I thought it was a good round to back up the low round yesterday. I played kind of stress-free golf again. I made one or two bad swings that led to bogeys. But for the most part kept the ball in play and played kind of stress-free golf.

“When I look back on my career early on and not having success here, I think a lot of it was due to the fact that I was fighting the air so much, putting so much spin on the ball, trying to hit it way too hard.

VIDEO: MICKELSON DELIVERS ON POSTAGE STAMP

“Now I feel like I'm able to, again, stress-free, get the ball going down the fairway low and on the ground, and let the hills and the knolls affect it more so than the air, and I don't feel like I'm fighting it off the tee so much. Again, that's been the biggest change for me over the years.”

While he missed re-writing history by millimetres late on Thursday evening when his putt for major golf’s first ever 62 lipped out, he did make history with his 36-hole total of 132, which is one shot better than the previous best at Royal Troon set by fellow American Bobby Clampett in 1982 and equalled by Darren Clarke in 1997.

Neither Clampett nor Clarke went on to win, so Mickelson is guarded about thinking too much about a victory this week, which would make him the oldest player since Old Tom Morris in 1867 to win The Open.

LEADERBOARD

That said, the 2013 Open Champion says all the pressure is now on the players trying to catch him that have not won the Claret Jug before.

“We’re only halfway done with the tournament so it’s too far off to start thinking like that (winning), but certainly there is nothing more that I would love to add another Claret Jug,” the 46-year-old said.

“I think there is a lot of pressure off me given the fact that I’ve already got one.

Henrik Stenson took full advantage of his brilliant play from tee to green to card a 65.
PHOTO: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.

“The other thing is that from 10 years ago, when I was playing my best golf, I’m 25 pounds lighter, I’m in better shape, I’m physically stronger than I was. I feel better and now that my swing is back on plane, I’m starting to hit some shots like I did 10 years ago and starting to play some of my best golf again.

“So I don’t see why there’s any reason why I can’t continue that, not just this week, but for years. That’s kind of what the game plan is.”

At one stage it appeared as if Mickelson was making this event completely his own as he extended his overnight lead to five shots with birdies on the 4^th, 7^th and 8^th holes, the latter the result of nearly holing his tee shot for an ace at the Postage Stamp. Mickelson’s ball bounced twice on the green before spinning more than two metres back to within a few millimetres of the hole.

“I just needed a little more sauce on it and it would have gone right in,” smiled Mickelson.

Wayward tee shots at the drives at the 12th and 15th holes led to Mickelson’s first dropped shots of the championship and allowed Stenson to close to within a shot, with Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen and 2011 US PGA Champion Keegan Bradley two strokes further back.

Stenson, who is aiming to be the first male Swede to win a major, was the only significant mover on day two, shooting a brilliant six under 65 that included seven birdies and a solitary bogey.

THIRD ROUND TEE TIMES

The Swede is regarded as one of the best players in the game not to have won a major and he knows time is not on his side to grab one of golf’s coveted titles.

“I'm 40. I'm not going to play these tournaments forever and ever,” he said. “I don't have another 50 goes at them. It might be a dozen or 15 in total. So I better start putting myself in position and giving myself chances if I want to make it happen.

“After six tournaments not being there, it's certainly time to get going.”

Stenson, a winner in Germany at the BMW International last month, has not been on a majors leaderboard since 2014 when he finished T3 at the PGA and T4 at the US Open. But he has a “good vibe” about this week.

Soren Kjeldsen is also looking to make history as the first Danish major champion.
PHOTO: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images.

“I'm always having good vibes,” he laughed. “My goal was to put myself in contention. I've done that halfway through.

“Got another 27 to play before it gets really interesting. So that was my goal. I haven't been in contention for the last six majors and that was a big, big goal of mine to try and be up there and give myself a chance. So far, so good.”

Mickelson and Stenson will be last group out on Saturday afternoon when the weather forecast suggests more wind and rain after a relatively fine morning.