Thomas Dickson Armour (24 September 1896 â€" 11 September 1968) was a Scottish-American professional golfer. He was nicknamed The Silver Scot. He was the winner of three of golf's major championships, the 1927 U.S. Open, 1930 PGA Championship, and the 1931 Open Championship.
Early life
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Armour was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and educated at Fettes College and the University of Edinburgh. During his service in World War I, Armour rose from a private to Staff Major in the Tank Corps. His conduct earned him an audience with George V. However, he lost his sight to a mustard gas explosion and surgeons had to add a metal plate to his head and left arm. During his convalescence, he regained the sight of his right eye, and began playing much more golf.
Golf career
Armour won the French Amateur tournament in 1920. He moved to the United States and met Walter Hagen, who gave him a job as secretary of the Westchester-Biltmore Club. He became a U.S. citizen at this time. He competed in important amateur tournaments in the U.S. before turning professional in 1924.
Armour won the 1927 U.S. Open, 1930 PGA Championship, and the 1931 Open Championship. With Jim Barnes and Rory McIlroy, he is one of three native Britons to win three different professional majors. His 1930 campaign was overshadowed by Bobby Jones' Grand Slam, and Armour seems to have been overlooked.
Armour also won the Canadian Open three times, a feat exceeded only by Leo Diegel, who won four.
At the Shawnee Open in 1927, Armour scored the first ever "Archaeopteryx" (15 or more over par) when he made a 23 on a par 5, for 18-over par. This still stands as the highest score on one hole in PGA history. This historic performance happened just one week after winning the U.S. Open.
Retirement and later life
Armour retired from full-time professional golf after the 1935 season, although he competed periodically in top-class events for several years afterwards. He taught at the Boca Raton Club in Florida, for $50 a lesson. His pupils included Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Lawson Little. He was also a member at the Winged Foot Golf Club in suburban New York City, where he spent much of his summers.
During World War II, Armour played in exhibitions for USO and Red Cross.
Armour co-wrote a book How to Play Your Best Golf All the Time (1953) with Herb Graffis. It became a best-seller and for many years was the biggest-selling book ever authored on golf. A series of 8mm films based on the book was released by Castle Films including Short Game parts I and II, Long Hitting Clubs, Grip and Stance.
Armour is succeeded by his grandson, Tommy Armour III, who is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour.
Death and legacy
Armour died in Larchmont, New York, and was cremated at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York, but is not interred there. Some modern golf equipment is still marketed in his name. Armour was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1976.
Armour popularized the term yips.
Amateur wins
- 1920 French Amateur
Professional wins
PGA Tour wins (25)
- 1920 (1) Pinehurst Fall Pro-Am Bestball (as an amateur, with Leo Diegel)
- 1925 (1) Florida West Coast Open
- 1926 (1) Winter Pro Golf Championship
- 1927 (5) Long Beach Open, El Paso Open, U.S. Open, Canadian Open, Oregon Open
- 1928 (4) Metropolitan Open, Philadelphia Open Championship, Pennsylvania Open Championship, Sacramento Open
- 1929 (1) Western Open
- 1930 (3) Canadian Open, PGA Championship, St. Louis Open
- 1931 (1) The Open Championship
- 1932 (3) Miami International Four-Ball (with Ed Dudley), Mid-South Bestball (with Al Watrous), Miami Open
- 1934 (2) Canadian Open, Pinehurst Fall Pro-Pro (with Bobby Cruickshank)
- 1935 (1) Miami Open
- 1936 (1) Walter Olson Golf Tournament (tie with Willie Macfarlane)
- 1938 (1) Mid-South Open
Major championships are shown in bold.
Other wins
- 1927 Miami International Four-Ball (with Bobby Cruickshank)
- 1938 Mid South Pro/Pro (with Bobby Cruickshank; tie with Henry Picard and Jack Grout)
Major championships
Wins (3)
1 Defeated Harry Cooper in an 18-hole playoff: Armour 76 (+4), Cooper 79 (+7).
Note: The PGA Championship was match play until 1958
Results timeline
NYF = tournament not yet founded
NT = no tournament
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Sources: U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur, Amateur Championship:1920, 1921
Team appearances
Amateur
- Great Britain vs USA (representing Great Britain): 1921
Professional
- Great Britain vs USA (representing the United States): 1926
See also
- List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins
Notes
External links
- World Golf Hall of Fame profile
- Biography of Tommy Armour
- Tommy Armour â€" The Greatest (Dr Milton Wayne)
- Tommy Armour at Find a Grave