Peak viewing figures on Sunday were around 1.2 million, compared with the 4.7 million who watched Johnson's victory on the BBC on the extra day at St Andrews past year. That isn't necessarily good news for Mickelson, but it should be. However, Mickelson's four rounds should not be sold short, as he was barely etched out by Stenson.

However, he has little time to rest with the fourth major of the year, the USPGA Championship, starting at Baltusrol on 28 July.

"Phil Mickelson played one of the best rounds I have ever seen played in the Open, and Henrik Stenson just played better — he played one of the greatest rounds I have ever seen", Nicklaus posted to social media.

Records didn't matter. This was about winning his first major.

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD: Steve Stricker and Andrew Johnston played their way into the PGA Championship with high finishes in the British Open that pushed them into the top 100 in the world ranking. Is it easier to stomach knowing he played bogey-free than if he couldn't hit a par 3 with a pitching wedge?

The result was low scoring and quick pace of play. That was David Toms at Atlanta Athletic Club, who holed a 10-foot par putt on the final hole to beat Mickelson by one.

Jesper Parnevik believes fellow Swede Henrik Stenson can add to his major collection after the recent Open success.

"I think that R&A sets the golf course up to be as fair as possible and to try to kind of identify who the best player is regardless of what the score is given the conditions and so forth", Mickelson said. Even so, he made 10 birdies amid relentless pressure of trying to win his first major. "So I focused on that over the break and ate a lot of potato chips, and I think it turned out pretty well". I'm not quite ready to say Sunday's finish was specialer than the Duel in the Sun-I was, as mentioned, in absentia for the '77 fray-but I can state with utter conviction that the Wowee in the Wind, or whatever history calls it, was the best serving of mano-a-mano competition that I've witnessed in three decades on the golf beat. "So it kind of goes both ways". "I don't remember what we were laughing about", Mickelson said of one exchange, "but Henrik's got a good sense of humor, and he's a good prankster".

By now he should know the answer, because it has happened a lot. Over those 36 holes, they were tied after 15, Stenson led after 13 of them and Mickelson led after eight of them. He also ended a streak of six American winners at Royal Troon that dated to 1950.

Nicklaus was a runner-up 19 times, but it's not simple math to suggest he could have won 37 majors.

Miller came from six shots behind. Mickelson made double bogey from the bunker on the 17th at Shinnecock Hills.

Henrik Stenson finally won the big one!

Should he have won more majors? That might be really tough to take if not for the five majors he has won. "It's not something you want to run around and shout, but I felt like this was going to be my turn".

Stenson came out on top in an epic duel with Phil Mickelson on Sunday to become the first Swedish man to win a major, carding an Open Championship record 20 under.

The decision, while not a surprise, also means he will go an entire PGA Tour season without playing.

Steinberg said Woods will continue to work hard and assess when he can play the following season, which starts in October.

In public appearances dating to April, whether it was opening his golf course in Houston or hosting his tournament in Washington, Woods has given no indication when he will be ready to compete.