[Sports ★★★]
(P1) After an epic duel at the British Open, Henrik Stenson has claimed his first major title, the AP reports. Stenson shot an 8-under 63 on Sunday to beat Phil Mickelson by three strokes, becoming the first man from Sweden to win one of golf’s biggest events. Mickelson, seeking his sixth major title at age 46, did all he could to capture the claret jug. But Stenson gained the upper hand by rolling in a 50-foot birdie putt from off the green at No. 15 to take a two-shot lead—the first time all day the final group had been separated by more than one stroke.
(P2) In a fitting touch after two days of foul weather, the sun broke through just as the final group was teeing off at No. 1. This head to head matchup will surely be remembered alongside the “Duel in the Sun” at Turnberry between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus in 1977. Stenson finished at 20-under 264 overall, breaking both the Open scoring record of 267 set by Greg Norman at Royal St. George’s in 1993 and the major championship mark of 265 by David Toms at the 2001 PGA Championship. Mickelson shot 65 for a 267 total.
WORDS: 199
SOURCE: http://www.newser.com/story/228241/henrik-stenson-wins-british-open.html
VOCABULARY: epic, upper hand, foul, alongside, breaking, mark
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.
- Briefly, summarize the content of the article in your own words.
- Do you like to play golf? Why or why not?
- Have you ever won a trophy? If yes, tell me about it.
- Are there any pro golfers from your country in the PGA? If yes, tell me about them.
READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
- Which championship were the golfers playing for?
- Who did the Swedish golfer beat?
- What’s the name of the trophy?
- The golfers saw two straight days of bad weather. (T or F)
- What was the champion’s final score?
EXPRESSIONS or PHRASES:
What do the following expressions or phrases mean?
- did all he could (P1)
- by rolling in (P1)
- In a fitting touch (P1)
- the sun broke through (P2)
Image source: by AP Photo/Matt Dunham http://www.newser.com/story/228241/henrik-stenson-wins-british-open.html