Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-14

obscurity, from the ranks of
the known great who had not
~ then come into glory of cham
pionships, Tommy Armour,
professional at the Congressional
Country Club, has blazed his way
through the strongest fields golf can
muster to stand today at the crest of
the professional game on the Amer.
lean continent, champion of two ma
tons and admittedly the outstand.
ing professional golfer of the year.
1t started at Oakmont, on that hot
June day, when Tommy curved 12-
foot putt into the cup to put him into
a tie with Harry Cooper for the title
he won the next day. And Toronto
sealed 1t a few days ago when the
fighting Scot who knows another and
grimmer type of scrap than that of the
golf course. carved out 20 over the
last round in the Canadian open cham
pionship to win his second national
open title within space of two
months.
Three professionals stand out this
year as leaders of the brigade who
earn their livelihood from the game.
Bobby Cruickshank was the hero of
the Winter, winner of a trio of big
titles, and the biggest money.maker
of the Southern season. Johnny Far.
rell came along as soon as the pros
turned North, winning the Metro
politan and the Eastern, the Shawnee
open and a couple of other important
tournaments.
Armour Tuned-up Here.
In between came Tommy Armour
bending all his efforts toward as
siduous practice for the big prize of
them all. the open, training carefully
and conscientiOusly over Burning
Tree, Congressional and Indian Spring,
all the while developing mastery Of
the shots which later won him the
title. Not that he didn't have them
before, but that fine edge that carried
him through to victory came in the
friendly matches played over the local
courses. And Tommy went up to Oak.
mont, where he shot 70 in practice
and then proceeded to blast out q Il
in the second round, the round that
really won the championship for him.
There were those who said Tommy
was lucky, lucky to sink the putt on
the seventy second green that placed
him in the tie with Cooper. They
couldn't have seen him play the tenth
and twelfth on that last round, when
his great heart almost cracked under a
6 and a z on holes that rate and 5
according to the card Nor could they
have seen that bewildering exhibition
In bunker at the twelfth, nor the putt
that followed when a 4-footer missed
by Whisker and CHASTITY Z fol-
lowed, apparently blowing Tommy's
chance sky-high. All they saw was
that putt on the last green, that
rolled true as die to the back of the
cup and lobbed graceful over the edge.
Tommy didn't go into several of
the tournaments that followed the
open. He played at Shawnee, three
days after Oakmont, but his heart
wasn't in his work. 1t was back on
the wind-swept hills of the greatest
golf course in the country, where he
carved out niche in the hall of
champions for the Armour name.
And few days ago Tommy went
up to Toronto. He was up there, run
ming with the front runners until the
last round, when he needed a valiant
effort. And 1t came. forever putting
an end to the doubts that may have
existed among the skeptics after his
Oakmont victory. The remarkable
thing about the Canadian open was
not that he won, but the manner in
which he did it. for where the others
cracked and skidded, falling out on
every hole of the first nine, Tommy
played f1awless golf to win. bursting
through with 20 over the last round
to nose out Macdonald Smith and
young Bill Burke. Toronto answered
Oakmont and never again can there
be doubt as to the finest professional
golfer of 1927.
Tommy was three shots back at the
opening of that fourth round at To-
ronto. 21S to 215 for AL Vatrous, in
good position, but not the best in the
world. His last round has been de-
scrlbed as one Of the finest rounds of
golf ever played in America, inspired
golf of the kind that Harry VardOn
and Bob Jones have displayed and
that Tommy Armour. newly arrived at
the crest of his game, is just begin
ming to show.
Only Putting Was Faulty.
His tee shots were booming, lengthy
affairs. straight as a string from tee
to mid-fairway, his iron shots impec.
cable. The only flaw that could be
found was in his putting, for he took
three puts on two green's during the
round. Three eagles fell his way over
that last round. the second, at the
thirteenth, virtually putting the crown
within his grasp and sewing up the
championship for him. And he gathered
In another eagle at the long six
teenth, scoring on this par hole.
thereby putting the title in the bag.
He took 5 at the seventeenth, and
needed a 4 at the eighteenth to win
There never was any double of it
from the time he hit his last drive
until the putt clinked in the bottom
of the tin.