Video: Phil Mickelson wins first Open Championship at Muirfield

Phil Mickelson shot the round of the day to win his first Open Championship and fifth major title at Muirfield in Scotland.

His final round of five under par 66 saw him beat Sweden’s Henrik Stenson by three strokes.

Lee Westwood held a two shot lead going into the final round of the 142nd Open Championship at Muirfield, hoping for his first major title, but it wasn’t to be.

The Englishman made it to the seventh tee level par for the day, but then consecutive bogeys dragged him back into the pack.

Another Englishman unexpectedly came just as close in the end.

Ian Poulter carded a final round 67 – four under par – to go to one over for the championship, helped by an eagle and three birdies around the turn.

Tiger Woods never quite got going and could only manage a three over par final round of 74 for a four round total of 286, tied for sixth place with Zach Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama.

The challenge of Adam Scott also faded.

After shooting four birdies between the 7th and 11th holes, the Masters champion then dropped shots at four consecutive holes and had to settle for a final round 72, one over par overall.

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson began with birdies at the first and third, but again the back nine played their part, ending up on 70, putting him out on his own at level par.

But one player managed to tame Muirfield.

Phil Mickelson went out in 34 with birdies at the 5th and 9th and despite a dropped shot at the tenth, four more birdies took the American away from the rest.

His approach to the last was the stuff of Open Championship legend and a five under par 66 – equalling the lowest round of the week – and three under par final score could not be matched.

“This is a win I never knew in my career I’d be equipped (for), if I had the shots, if I would have the opportunity to win a tournament here and to do it, to play some of the best golf probably the best round of my career, and break through and capture this Claret Jug, it’s some of the most fulfilling, one of the most fulfilling moments of my career, because it was something I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to do.”