The Open 2016: Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson trade blows in two-horse race for the Claret Jug

Outside of the battle between the top two, the play of London's Andrew Johnston - a new golfing cult hero - is Troon’s feel-good story

(Getty)

The 1977 Open gained legendary status as the Duel In The Sun when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus separated themselves from their rivals to go head to head at Turnberry. Watson eventually prevailed. Thirty-nine years later, Troon will be treated to the Duel In The Wind, or the Brawl In The Squall if you prefer. The 145th Open has come down to a two-horse race between Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson.

After a three under par 68 to get to 12 under, the 40-year-old Swede holds a one-shot lead over the 46-year-old American. It is Stenson’s first time in the final pairing of a major as he searches for his first one. Mickelson has taken that walk 11 times, winning five majors including the 2013 Open.

“Even though Phil's very popular in this part of the world, maybe I could have a few more Europeans giving me a push tomorrow if we want to get the atmosphere of Ryder Cup going,” Stenson said. “He's one of the best to play the game in the last 15, 20 years, and it's going to be a tough match. But I'm looking forward to the opportunity,” Stenson said. “I know he's not going to back down, and I'm certainly going to try to not back down either.”

The chasing pack merely dancing in the chorus line includes Americans Bill Haas and JB Holmes at six under and four under, along with London’s new golf cult hero Andrew Johnston – the one with the beard and whose nickname is Beef.

Johnston has won over the crowd this week. He will have the home support in the final round. The British do love their Sunday Beef with all the trimmings – the North London Hillbilly look, the real ale drinkers belly, the flashing gap-toothed grin and Churchill victory V sign, the joy in his eyes. Whatever happens, he is already the People’s Champion. Johnston has embraced his time in golf’s limelight and his new celebrity status. He posed for photo-shoots with burgers; fans have been waving them at him and shouting his name. “Yeah, I love it. I dreamt of it as a kid, man,” Johnston said. “Playing in these events and people shouting your name. I absolutely love it.” Between rounds this week he said he has been drinking about 20 cups of tea a day and playing Soft Kitties Top Trumps with his five-year-old niece, Summer. She’s been getting in on Beefmania, too. “I can hear her shouting out “Uncle Beef’ now nearly every hole, and ‘Beef to the rescue,’ he said. “She cracks me up.”

Johnston might look like he just walked off the set of an American Deep South crime drama about backwater banjo smugglers but don’t be fooled. The 27-year-old Arsenal fan can play. He won the Spanish Open this year and graduated to the European Tour by winning the Challenge Tour rankings in 2014 after two victories on Europe’s second-tier tour. Much more of this week’s form and he may push himself into Darren Clarke’s Ryder Cup for the trip to Hazeltine in September. “I'm not one for thinking too much. I don't think about it too much,” Johnston said. “I just go from day to day, and I find that's the best way for me to be.”

This is new territory for Johnston and, so far, he has performed admirably in the white-hot heat of a major to record rounds of 69, 69 and 70. “You've got to get sort of outside yourself and go, no, no, come on, man, I'm playing well,” Johnston said. “Just keep doing what you're doing. On the 13th, the chip-in, I walked over and I could see my mom crying, which was even funnier,” he said. “And that got me going a bit. I was like, oh my God, don't look at my mom.”

Andrew Johnston has become a crowd favourite at Royal Troon () (Getty)

Word got out that Beef ate an enormous pizza by himself on Friday night. “It was like a 10-inch pizza. It wasn't like a 20-inch ‘Win a T-shirt if you finish it’ type of thing,” he said. A reporter asked how much he weighted. “I have no idea. You want to pick me up?” Johnston said. Offer declined. “I don't know, man. About 16 stone, I reckon,” he said. I need to start shed a stone.”

A good finish in the final round will see the Londoner take home a sizable cheque, a chunk of Ryder Cup points and no doubt a host of sponsorship deals. Pizza advert, anyone?

Three years ago he said he didn’t have enough money to buy Christmas presents. “You always have your ups and downs,” he said. Johnston is Troon’s feel-good story. There is one more chapter to go before a guaranteed standing ovation at the 18th.

The feel good factor has been hard to find for Rory McIlroy this week. His third round highlight, or lowlight, was chucking his 3-wood in anger at the 16th and breaking it. Just frustration. “I let one go to the right on the previous hole and I did it again there,” he said. “No one likes to make the same mistake twice.” His three-putting didn’t help his mood either. “I struggled with the speed of the greens and when you’re putting in 25mph wind those things happen,” he said. He shot a two over par 73 to go into the final round at even par. “I used to hate playing in those conditions. I really did,” he said. “But I've found a way to get myself around the course and be as positive as I possibly can.” McIlroy is fighting hard but in this kind of stormy weather, his game, concentration and confidence are not at the moment strong enough to compete at the top of the leaderboard. Remember, he won the Open in 2014 during a Hoylake heatwave.

Colin Montgomerie hit the first shot of this Open last Thursday. The 53-year will get the final round under way, too, playing his home course at 12 over par and dead last in the company of Troon’s club professional who will be his marker.