Worth Waiting For

A Record-Breaking Open

Stenson's 20-under ties Jason Day's record for score relative to par at a major. Day set the record in last year's PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Like Day, this was also Stenson's first major win. Likewise, that gives Stenson the Open record for score relative to par, besting Tiger Woods's 2000 tournament at St. Andrews (19-under). That had also been the major championship record until Day broke it in 2015.

While Stenson merely tied the major record for score relative to par, he posted the lowest aggregate score ever in a major at 262. Royal Troon is a par-71 course, whereas Whistling Straits is a par-72.  

The Swede's final-round 63 ties the record for lowest score ever shot in a major – something Stenson's playing partner Mickelson also did Thursday in ideal scoring conditions — and ties Johnny Miller's famous 63 at Oakmont in 1973 to become just the second player to shoot 63 in the final round of a major. As such, he's the first player to have ever shot 63 in the final round of The Open. 

That 63 also ties the course record for Troon in any professional round. Stenson tied the mark Michelson set in his opening round which had broken the old course record of 64, shot by Greg Norman (1989) and Tiger Woods (1997). 

Mickelson, who shot his best final major round ever (65), finished second at 17-under, which would have won all but four Opens in the tournament's history dating back to 1860. JB Holmes finished third at six under, and that 11-shot gap is the biggest between second and third place ever at a major. 

Lefty's runner-up finish pushes him ahead of the great Arnold Palmer for most second-place finishes in majors with 11. Mickelson still trails Jack Nicklaus's record 19 second-place finishes.