A selection of the best final rounds by major champions
By Keith Jackson at Royal Troon
Last Updated: 18/07/16 12:01am
Henrik Stenson became only the second player in history to fire a final-round 63 to win a major, but where does his Open-winning feat rank? Here's my six of the best in recent memory ...
Phil Mickelson, 2013 Open
It's ironic that the man outlasted by Stenson in a memorable Sunday duel at Royal Troon is first on this list, but the quality of his final round on a very tough Muirfield layout in the 2013 Open cannot be overlooked.
Mickelson was making his 20th appearance in The Open and had posted only two top-10 finishes in the previous 19, but he put together a remarkable five-under 66 and pulled clear of the chasing pack over the closing stretch.
He started the day five shots behind leader Lee Westwood, but Mickelson covered the front nine in two under before dropping his only shot of the day at the 10th.
But he responded with back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14 and, as the leaders frittered away shots after the turn, Mickelson staged a grandstand finish with birdies at the last two holes which gave him a three-shot win, his first Claret Jug, and he later described the round as "the best of my career".
Paul Lawrie, 1999 Open
Records tumbled at Carnoustie as Lawrie created major championship history by coming from 10 shots behind on the final day to claim a thrilling Open victory, although he was indebted to a remarkable meltdown from Jean van de Velde.
The conditions and set-up were brutal at a venue dubbed "Carnastie", but Van de Velde managed his game better than the rest over the first 54 holes and carved out a commanding five-shot lead on level par.
Lawrie looked out of the running on 10 over, but he defied the elements to close with an outstanding four-under 67 - comfortably the low round of the day - which set the clubhouse target on six over.
Van de Velde held himself together after a superb charge from Craig Parry faltered down the stretch, and the Frenchman arrived on the 72nd tee three clear of the field. But what followed would become etched in Open folklore.
Nick Faldo, 1996 Masters
Like Lawrie's Carnoustie comeback, Faldo's third Masters victory was overshadowed by the collapse of his long-time rival Greg Norman, who was six shots clear going in to the final round at Augusta.
But it is often overlooked that Faldo's closing 67 was the low round of the day and one of the finest in his distinguished career, turning that deficit into a five-stroke victory.
Faldo piled on the pressure to claw into Norman's lead on the front nine, and Norman buckled when he dropped three consecutive shots around the turn before a double-bogey at the 12th gave the Englishman a two-shot lead.
Although Norman matched Faldo's birdies on the par-fives at 13 and 15 to stay in touch, another double-bogey at the short 16th ended any hopes as the Englishman rolled in a final-hole birdie to complete a five-stroke win.
Greg Norman, 1993 Open
Just three years before his biggest Masters disappointment, Norman was in a class of his own at Royal St George's as he came from behind to upstage Faldo with an awesome six-under 64 on the final day.
Faldo looked poised to lift the Claret Jug for the third time in four years when he fired a 63 on day two to earn the outright lead, although an erratic 70 saw him reeled in by Corey Pavin while Norman's 69 left him one adrift.
Aiming to put pressure on the last group, Norman played some of the best golf of his career as he capped an outward 31 by almost holing his second to the ninth, and he picked up further shots at 12, 13 and 16.
A 62 was on the cards until he missed a tiny putt at the 17th, but he had a comfortable cushion to take down the last and he closed out a two-shot victory over the defending champion.
Johnny Miller, 1973 US Open
The swashbuckling American looked out of contention when he finished the third round six shots behind joint-leaders Arnold Palmer, Julius Boros, Jerry Heard and John Schlee at Oakmont.
But Miller pounded the ball off the tee and holed putt after putt as he birdied the first four holes to pull within three of Palmer, and all of the top six contenders birdied the ninth before the tournament swung Miller's way on the inward stretch.
Miller reeled off another three straight birdies from the 11th, and Palmer buckled under the pressure and dropped three shots in a row to leave Miller to battle it out with Schlee and Tom Weiskopf.
Miller picked up another shot at the 15th, and three closing pars were enough to clinch a one-shot victory over Schlee as Nicklaus, Palmer and Lee Trevino finished three strokes adrift.