Henrik Stenson claims Open for first major title

Henrik Stenson, after going toe-to-toe with Phil Mickelson for 18 holes Sunday at Royal Troon, pulled away to win the Open title for his first major championship.

Stenson shot an 8-under 63 to finish the tournament at 20-under. He won Sunday's matchup with Mickelson by 2 strokes and the Claret Jug by 3 over the American.

Both played stellar golf, combining for an eagle, 14 birdies and two bogeys in the final pairing.

Stenson delivered a crushing blow to Mickelson's chances of capturing a sixth major championship by making a 50-foot birdie putt from off the green at No. 15 that gave him a 2-shot lead with three to play.

Stenson's previous best finish in a major was a tie for second at the 2013 Open at Muirfield, which Mickelson won. Stenson becomes the first male Swedish golfer to win a major.

His total score of 264 broke the Open scoring record. Stenson eclipsed the mark of 267 set by Greg Norman in 1993.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.