I know this isn't the hottest take ever, but I truly believe, more so than with Dustin Johnson, that a major title will push Henrick Stenson to the epitome of professional golf, the top ranked player in the world.
It seemed like a matter of time before Stenson broke through and was finally recognized for all of his great play through the years. And in what fashion to do so, capping his final round 63 (-8) with a 20-foot birdie at the 18th. The Swede tied Jason Day's record for the lowest score at a major by shooting twenty under par. It was sheer brilliance. That was the greatest back and forth golf dual, in the final round of a major, I have ever seen. Both Mickelson and Stenson were throwing darts from over 200 yards out the whole day. Stenson's magic just outlasted the 46 year old in the closing stretches beginning on fourteen. From fourteen to sixteen, Stenson's putter was pouring in putts from all over the green and Phil could only just watch as Stenson captured the lead in ridiculous fashion. Mickelson didn't give Stenson an inch, Stenson just took it. You knew he was not letting go of the lead after his forty foot putt dropped on fifteen, followed by a Tiger like fist pump.
I was pleasantly surprised by the emotion Stenson showed and the balls he had to be aggressive on every shot. His drive on eighteen summed up his performance. Hitting his reliable three wood three hundred yards to about three feet short of Norman's bunker. The bunker that Greg Norman hit in during the 1989 Open at Troon, the bunker that caused him to triple the eighteenth hole and let yet another major title slip through his grasps. That did not stop Stenson from smashing his three wood, even with all the dangers in play. He knew what he did best and executed it perfectly on the biggest stage of his life. His twenty foot putt was just the icing on the cake to what was a delicious performance from Stenson. I think we will be seeing a lot more him late Sunday at the majors.
Why will Stenson be number 1?
1. Confidence
Probably the most important intangible in golf and Stenson has it in bunches. Similar to what I said above, Stenson knows his game and what works best for him. He knows he can't hit his driver as accurately as his three wood, and why would he when he can consistently pure his wood three hundred yards down the middle. But his consistent drives led to a field best 77.8% GIR (greens in regulation) for the week. When thinking about Royal Troon or any course on the Open rota, the winner will be in the top 10 of either GIR or scrambling (because of all of the different hazards). It looked like the wheels were going to fall off after the first hole with Stenson as Mickelson birdied and he dropped to one back of the lead with a bogey. But because Stenson stayed focused between his ears and didn't worry early on when Phil was making everything look easy, he was able to slowly build up his momentum going into the back nine. If he is able to continue that cool demeanor of his on Sundays at majors, I think he will raising more than just the claret jug.
2. His swing
To begin with, Stenson is a gifted athlete. He stands at 6'3", 200 lbs. He has an unbelievable amount of flexibility to swing through to his target. And his swing is no average swing. He uses his head to clear way for his hips and in effect, generate massive amounts of club head speed through impact. Watch in the video below as he absolutely a three wood
He loads up his right leg by driving his right heel in the ground during his backswing. He takes his club back seemingly always on plane and then releases the club down towards golf ball with ease. His body stays behind the ball just until contact and he is able to smoothly transition his weight by turning his wrists towards its intended target. When his swing is working like it was yesterday, he is hard to beat, but when his swing and his putter are working like they did yesterday, he is unbeatable.
3. Improved Short Game
Stenson has always been known for his incredibly consistent woods and irons, but never for his short game. His short game seemed to always hold him back like its held back Westwood in the majors. Stenson's putter has given him tremendous troubles, especially in the majors. Even this year, he is ranked 174th when it comes to putting. It's incredible to think that #5 player in the world could be so poor at putting. I believe it is just a meaningful compliment to his play from tee-to-green. Everyone saw what happened on Sunday when he starting sinking putts. He was sinking putts from all over the place. His chipping was also spectacular; in particular, his shot on sixteen when it look like Phil was going to cut his lead to one, Stenson stick his pitch from the long cut fescue. That shot illustrated his resilience and his ability to fight off any sort of competition. Although he is already thirty one, his potential is still through the roof and when he continues to play lights out golf, I won't be surprised.