Tommy Armour

• Born: September 24, 1895
• Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
• Died: September 11, 1968
• Place of death: Larchmont, New York

Sport: Golf

Early Life

Thomas Dickson Armour was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on September 24, 1895. He developed an interest in golf from an early age and practiced at the famous Braid Hills Course in his native city. Golf ran in the family; his brother Alexander, nicknamed “Landy,” like Tommy, dreamed of becoming a professional golfer.

Tommy’s devotion to golf far exceeded that of most talented young players. He took playing lessons from Harry Vardon, the greatest golfer of the early twentieth century, even though the expense of these lessons proved a heavy burden on the impecunious young man. From Vardon, Tommy learned the value of shot placement. Vardon was a master of planning his play so that he had as many easy shots as possible. Rather than simply driving at the green without thought, Vardon carefully considered the layout of each hole. Tommy absorbed Vardon’s technique and became known as one of golf’s best strategists. Tommy also had an unusually fine touch with irons—generally used on the fairway. He seemed set for an outstanding career in golf when disaster struck.

The Road to Excellence

By the time Tommy was a college freshman, he had already developed into an outstanding amateur player. The inception of his college years coincided with the onset of World War I, however, and Tommy enlisted in the famous Black Watch Regiment of the British Army. During his army career, he demonstrated the dexterity with his hands that was later to characterize his golf play. He set a record for assembling engine parts, a daunting task requiring great manual skill. His adeptness was matched by bravery, and he finished the war as a major.

Tommy’s battle experiences almost killed him and affected him the remainder of his life. During fighting in Belgium, he suffered a severe head wound and was gassed. He lost his sight for six months and was permanently blinded in one eye. One of his lungs was gas-burned, and his bones were in large part shattered. He managed to recover most of his strength in an English military hospital, but his golf career seemed to be at an end before it had really begun.

Tommy refused to give up. During his lonely months in the hospital, he dreamed of winning major golf tournaments and achieving worldwide recognition. He resolved to let nothing stand in his way, and after release from the hospital, he returned to the game determined to succeed. His hands had not been damaged in the war, to his good fortune.

The Emerging Champion

Tommy’s determination and courage enabled him to achieve exactly what he had dreamed while in convalescence. At the end of the war, he resumed his position as an outstanding amateur. After high finishes in the British amateur championships, he decided, in the early 1920’s, to turn professional.

Tommy’s professional triumphs often displayed the courage he had shown while in the armed service. During the 1920’s and 1930’s, golfers did not have the equipment needed to break par with regularity. On a difficult course, a round in the low 70’s was considered outstanding, and most tournaments were won with scores well above par. Play tended to be erratic; a danger to be avoided was a very poor round, in the high 70’s or worse, which ruined one’s chances.

Tommy played at his best when under pressure. Unlike many of his rivals, his finishing rounds were often his best. His earliest major triumph, the 1927 U.S. Open, demonstrated this pattern. After three rounds of play, Tommy was well behind Harry Cooper, a small but highly proficient golfer. “Lighthorse Harry” collapsed in the last round and had a disastrously high score. Tommy kept on an even keel and won the tournament with his steady play.

Tommy faced another severe test in the finals of the 1930 Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) tournament. The event was match play rather than a medal tournament. Instead of scoring by rounds, with the winner having the lowest total shots, entrants were paired in matches until only two were left in the finals. Tommy’s opponent in the 1930’s finals was Gene Sarazen, one of the greatest golfers of all time and a golfer who, like Tommy, produced his best play under pressure. On this occasion, however, Sarazen proved unequal to the pace. Tommy’s ability to play at his peak when challenged again gained him a major championship. Tommy once more reached the finals of the PGA tournament in 1935, but Johnny Revolta defeated him for the title.

Continuing the Story

Perhaps Tommy’s greatest achievement in golf was his victory in the 1931 British Open, which was played at Carnoustie in Scotland, an exceptionally difficult course. Before the 1930’s, no one had ever broken 70 on this course in a tournament. To make matters even worse, there were unusually heavy winds that year. Tommy found himself in a poor position at the start of the last round. His first three rounds had put him well over par, and his third round was a poor 77. The Argentine golfer José Jurado, a favorite of the Duke of Windsor, seemed to have victory well in hand. Tommy lost confidence in his putting and chipping and felt near collapse. In the final round, Tommy lived up to his reputation of delivering in the “clutch.” He felt his nervous condition inwardly but it failed to affect his play. He turned in his best round of the tournament, a 71, and overtook Jurado to win the event.

Tommy continued to play professionally during the 1930’s. After retirement as an active player, he became one of golf’s most noted teachers. His 1953 book How to Play Your Best Golf All the Time is considered a classic of golf instruction. He died on September 11, 1968.

Summary

Tommy Armour began his career primed for golf success. He had outstanding manual dexterity and was ardently devoted to the game. He learned strategy from Harry Vardon, one of golf’s masters. World War I appeared to end his chances for success when he received severe and disabling wounds that nearly ended his life. His determination and courage enabled him to recover, and he became one of the best golfers of the 1920’s and 1930’s.

Bibliography

Armour, Tommy. Classic Golf Tips. Orlando, Fla.: Tribune, 1994.

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. How to Play Your Best Golf All the Time. Rev. ed. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995.

Grimsley, Will. Golf: Its History, People, and Events. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1966.

Wade, Don. Talking on Tour: The Best Anecdotes from Golf’s Master Storyteller. Lincolnwood, Ill.: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary, 2003.