stopped Maurice Blocker in two rounds to capture the IBF welterw

Ewen Murray reflects on a ground-breaking 145th Open at Royal Troon, where the memorable final-day duel between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson was top of a long list of significant storylines throughout the week. Im sitting at home having a quiet hour and Im thinking, did all of that really happen at Royal Troon? The 145th edition of The Open will live long in the memory. An Open with so many stories, records falling, sumptuous golf, wind, rain and ultimately, the sunshine that joined in on a never-to-be-forgotten Sunday. An Open that left us with so many images of what was an amazing week on the beautiful Ayrshire coastline.With this grand old championship on Sky Sports for the first time, whatever happens in future years, we will all remember where we were when Sweden celebrated their first mens major winner, and the quality of golf played in Scotland will stay with us for decades. Henrik Stenson ended an enthralling final day as Swedens first major champion Take the five-time major champion, Phil Mickelson. One shot behind with 18 holes to go, he shoots 65, to lose by three! Take Kentuckian, JB Holmes. Over the four days he scored, 70, 70, 69, 69 to secure third place, a full 14 shots behind the new champion - yes, 14 shots adrift of the immaculate Henrik Stenson.Stenson rewrote the record books by achieving the lowest 72-hole total in Open history, and his final round of 63 is a candidate for round of the year with five months of 2016 yet to come. I admire Henrik as a person, and during his dark spells on several occasions in his career, he never lost his engaging sense of humour and - testament to his character - he never wavered in his vision and self belief. Stenson never lost his self belief despite downturns during his 20-year career He, as much as any player, has had to deal with turbulent periods in his 20-year term as a tournament professional and he has dealt with them impressively. Close on many occasions in major championships, this was his time, and when the opportunity presented itself he seized the moment in spectacular fashion.Passing through many airports during the course of the season, I spend time with his caddie, Gareth Lord. A fine player himself, he has had much influence on the success of his boss. His coach, Peter Cowan, took on the enormous job of getting Henrik back on track and I thought of both travelling home from Troon. Caddie Gareth Lord has played a significant part in Stensons success They should be pleased at the part they played in Stensons victory, but more than anything, they should be proud of being there for him throughout the long, winding and at times troublesome road. Sunday was the culmination of hard work, dedication and courage for the champion and those closest to him.I thought of Phil Mickleson, too. A player who quite rightly enjoys enormous popularity, a man who has helped many, both on and off the course. Having grasped the nuances of links golf at Muirfield only three years ago, how could one not feel for him? He played an enormous part in this epic tale and my wish would be that next year he finally, after six times the runner-up, wins his national Open and joins that exclusive club of grand slam winners. Phil Mickelson shot 65 on the final day, but it wasnt enough to land a fifth major title Of course, there was so much more. In young Tyrrell Hatton, England has a future star. Hampered by his temperament in his early years, Tyrrell and his management team have addressed that and over the last fortnight his maturity has proved to be all but complete.His second place finish in Inverness, followed by fifth in The Open, have catapulted him up the various ranking lists and dont be surprised if his first win arrives in the next month, just in time to claim a Ryder Cup berth. Hes tough and talented. Andrew Beef Johnston became a fans favourite And then there was Beef! I thought it most unprofessional on my part calling Andrew Johnston Beef. But when you heard the shouts from the fringes of the fairways, I thought, to hell with that, Beef it is! Spanish Open winner earlier this year at Valderrama, Andrew is here to stay. A huge fans favourite - to use his own word, man - hes some player. All pizza and fish and chips, he was caviar to the galleries.For my channel, Troon was a landmark week, just as Oak Hill and the 1995 Ryder Cup was. Ground-breaking coverage, the innovations that have become Skys trademark, action from dawn to dusk and of course the hugely popular Open Zone. The Championship enjoyed the facelift and next year will be even better. Troon was a landmark week for Skys groundbreaking coverage. The Open enjoyed the facelift and next year will be even better. Ewen Murray My colleagues amaze me at times. Rich Beems final-group on-course commentary on Saturday was a masterclass and Butch Harmon, 73 years going on 25, is an extraordinary analyst. Knowledge, humour and humility are just some of his strengths. And Paul McGinley is turning into a first-class commentator - its little wonder he excelled in his role as Ryder Cup captain at Gleneagles.The production team were as always outstanding and their efforts on what was a 20-hour day were humbling. Their energy and inventiveness is infectious. Golf is a difficult sport to cover, very few can do it successfully. After three maiden major winners so far this year, will it be Lee Westwoods turn at Baltusrol? So, now the greatest championship in our sport will rest for a year and the final major of the season gets underway just 10 days after Henriks putt dropped in front of Royal Troons old stone clubhouse. All eyes now on Baltusrol, and the PGA Championship.We have had three rookie victories in the majors this year. Danny at Augusta National, Dustin at famed Oakmont and Henrik taking the Claret Jug. Will that continue? Maybe its time for Lee Westwood, or Sergio Garcia. I imagine many of you would like to see either one of them hold the Wanamaker Trophy a week on Sunday. As always on Sky Sports, extensive coverage will be coming your way from New Jersey. Phil and Henrik came close to golfing perfection on Sunday afternoon Before we close the book on Troon, there have been many sound bites from around the world on the excellence of play over the Opens last 18 holes. Jack Nicklaus went on record saying the duel between Phil and Henrik was superior to his Duel in the Sun with Tom Watson at Turnberry in 1977. High praise indeed.Im not sure what last Sunday will eventually be called, maybe Dual of the Sons, but it doesnt really need a title, because we will remember it as the day Mickleson and Stenson came as close as you can to achieving golfing perfection. Also See: VOTE: Best shot at The Open McIlroy praise for Stenson A year of first-time winners Get Sky Sports Adidas NMD R2 Ελλαδα . The Boston Celtics hadnt played since the All-Star break. So the Suns 100-94 victory over Boston Wednesday night was an uphill affair, with Phoenix relying on balance rather than its trademark high energy. Adidas NMD R2 γυναικεια . - The Florida Panthers are getting some Army training to finish off their preparations for the season. http://www.nmdgreece.com/adidas-nmd-r1-greece.html . The defending champions’ roller coaster season included trading offensive star Percy Harvin in the midst of the team’s 3-3 start. That move that reportedly irked several Seahawk players, but one management saw necessary to save the team’s chemistry. Adidas NMD R2 Greece .Y. -- As if the worst start in franchise history isnt bad enough, Buffalo Sabres President Ted Black braced his teams win-starved fans for potentially more tough times. Adidas Superstar φθηνα . MLB executive Joe Torre ruled on Tuesday nights game at Wrigley Field that was called after 4 1-2 innings. The Cubs were declared the winners by a 2-0 score. Now, it is instead a suspended game that will resume at 4:05 p. CANASTOTA, N.Y. -- "The Golden Boy" is golden again. Oscar De La Hoya, who won Olympic gold and became a champion in six weight divisions in winning 10 world titles, has been selected for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. "I am honoured and appreciative to be chosen, and I thank everyone who has been a part of this journey with me," De La Hoya said in a statement released by the Hall of Fame. "This is the dream of everyone who puts on a pair of gloves and steps between the ropes and through the good and the bad. You always hope that when all is said and done you put on good fights, entertained the fans, and will be remembered for what you did in the ring. "To know that I will be in the Hall of Fame with the greats of this sport is humbling, but its also put a smile on my face that isnt coming off anytime soon." De La Hoya headlines the class of 2014 announced Wednesday, and two of his contemporaries in the modern era -- Puerto Rican star Felix "Tito" Trinidad and Joe Calzaghe of Wales -- will join him on stage June 8 at the induction ceremony in Canastota, N.Y. Joining the hard-punching trio are George Chaney, Charles Ledoux and Mike ODowd in the old-timer category, while Tom Allen is the lone honoree in the pioneer category. The Hall of Fames 25th class also includes promoter Barry Hearn, referees Richard Steele and Eugene Corri, journalist Graham Houston and veteran Sports Illustrated photographer Neil Leifer in the non-participant and observer categories. Inductees were selected by the Boxing Writers Association and a panel of international boxing historians. De La Hoya had an amateur record of 223-5 with 153 knockouts and won the lightweight gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He turned pro later that year and captured his first world title, the WBO super-featherweight crown, in only his 12th bout. De La Hoya also won titles as a lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight. Hiis 2007 bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr.dddddddddddd was one of the richest in boxing history, attracting nearly 2.5 million pay-per-view fans. He retired after a 2008 loss to Manny Pacquiao with a professional record of 39-6 with 30 knockouts and in 2002 established Golden Boy Promotions. The fame hasnt come without some of the bad. De La Hoya admitted himself to a treatment facility in September as he continues to fight substance abuse. The move came on the eve of the biggest fight of the year for his promotion company between Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez. De La Hoya first admitted two years ago that he was an alcoholic and drug user and had been in treatment. Trained by his father, Trinidad began boxing at age 10 in his native Puerto Rico and became one of its most accomplished fighters, posting a 51-6 amateur record before turning pro. He stopped Maurice Blocker in two rounds to capture the IBF welterweight crown in his 20th pro bout and defended his title 15 times, one of those a controversial 12-round majority decision over De La Hoya. Trinidad moved up in weight to win the WBA light middleweight title from David Reid in March 2000 and later that year unified titles with a 12th-round knockout against IBF champ Fernando Vargas. In 2001, he became a three-division champion with a fifth-round knockout of William Joppy for the WBA middleweight title. The three-time world champ was a fan favourite because of his big-punching style and devastating left hook. "This is a great honour for me, my father, my family and my whole team," said Trinidad, who retired in 2009 with a record of 42-3 with 35 knockouts. "This is the biggest triumph of my career." Calzaghe was the Rocky Marciano of his division -- nobody beat him in 46 professional bouts, which included a division-record 21 defences of his super middleweight title. "Im so excited," Calzaghe said. "Im very proud and humbled. I think its amazing. This is a massive, massive honour, just fantastic." ' ' '