Tommy Armour


Thomas Dickson Armour was a Scottish-born golfer who played primarily in the United States. He was nicknamed The Silver Scot. He was the winner of three of golf's major championships: 1927 U.S. Open, 1930 PGA, and 1931 Open Championship. Armour popularized the term yips, the colloquial term for a sudden and unexplained loss of skills in experienced athletes.

Early life

Armour was born on 24 September 1896 in Boroughmuir, Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of Martha Dickson and her husband George Armour, a baker. He went to school at Boroughmuir High School, Edinburgh, and studied at the University of Edinburgh. During his early golf career, he played at Lothianburn Golf Club near the Pentland Hills. At the outbreak of World War I enlisted with the Black Watch and was a machine-gunner. He rose from 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.

Amateur career

Armour won the 1920 French Amateur tournament. He moved to the United States and met Walter Hagen who gave him a job as secretary of the Westchester-Biltmore Club.
In 1920, he won a PGA Tour event, the Pinehurst Fall Pro-Am Bestball, while still an amateur, pairing with professional Leo Diegel.

Professional career

In 1924, Armour turned professional. During his tournament playing career, he won three major championships: the 1927 U.S. Open, 1930 PGA Championship, and the 1931 Open Championship. With Jim Barnes and Rory McIlroy, he is one of three natives of the United Kingdom to win three different professional majors. His victory in the British Open in 1931 completed a pre-Masters era professional Grand Slam. He was one of just two players, along with Walter Hagen who also completed the feat in 1931, to win all three traditional majors and the three other tournaments often regarded at the time as being major championships for the professionals: the Western Open, Canadian Open and Metropolitan Open.
Armour retired from full-time professional tournament 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 from 1926 to 1955, 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.
Armour co-wrote a book How to Play Your Best Golf All the Time 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.

Personal life

Armour became an American citizen in November 1942.
In 1968, Armour died in Larchmont, New York. He was cremated at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York but not interred there. Some modern golf equipment is still marketed in his name.
Armour is succeeded by his grandson, Tommy Armour III, who is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour.

Awards and honors

In 1976, Armour was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Amateur wins

PGA Tour wins (25)

Major championships are shown in bold.
Source:

Other wins

  • 1927 Miami International Four-Ball
  • 1938 Mid South Pro/Pro

    Major championships

Wins (3)

1 Defeated Harry Cooper in an 18-hole playoff: Armour 76, Cooper 79.
''Note: The PGA Championship was match play until 1958''

Results timeline

Tournament1930193119321933193419351936193719381939
Masters TournamentNYFNYFNYFNYFT37T20T8T12
U.S. Open6T46T21T4T50WDT22CUT23T22
The Open Championship1T17
PGA Championship1QFR162R64R64

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 : 1921
Professional
  • Great Britain vs USA : 1926