Turnberry had the bigger stars. Troon had the better golf.

That, along with 20 miles of Ayrshire coastline, might be all that separates two of the most compelling duels in 156 years of the British Open.

To compare anything with the 1977 British Open used to be sacrosanct. For the last four decades, the “Duel in the Sun” was the gold standard for head-to-head battles in a major championship, which are rare. Jack Nicklaus was the best in golf with 14 majors, nearing the end of his prime at 37. Tom Watson was the emerging star, 10 years younger, who won his second major earlier that year by holding off Nicklaus to win the Masters.

For two days, they put on a spectacular show.

Both shot 65 in the third round and shared the lead. Nicklaus finished with a 40-foot birdie putt for a 66 and a 269, a score that would have won any major in history to that point. That lasted only as long as it took Watson, who hit a 7-iron to about 2 feet on the final hole at Turnberry, to tap in his birdie for a 65 and a 268.

“This is what it’s all about, isn’t it,” Watson said to Nicklaus on the 16th hole when they were tied.

Turnberry entered the conversation Sunday at Royal Troon after four holes, when it was clear Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson had something special going.