Mickelson leads Stenson by one at halfway mark of Open

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TROON, Scotland - Phil Mickelson wore a black rain suit that he didn't need until he approached the far end of Royal Troon and already had stretched his lead. Henrik Stenson opened the curtains at his house expecting to see rain coming down sideways and was pleasantly surprised by the calm.

Good golf and the good end of the draw is tough to beat in the British Open.

Mickelson hit a wedge that spun back toward the cup until it stopped about two postage stamps away on the par-3 eighth hole, the signature shot in his 2-under 69 that allowed him to back up his record-tying start and take the 36-hole lead in a major for the first time in three years.

"I thought it was a good round to back up the low round yesterday," Mickelson said. "I played kind of stress-free golf again. I made one or two bad swings that led to bogeys. But for the most part, kept the ball in play."

He just couldn't shake Stenson, who timed his birdies perfectly.

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