New Britain herald., 1927-06-18
ARMOUR IS GOLF
 CHAMP OF ]. $.
Veteran Golfer Makes Great Up.
 bill Fight to Win Title

Oakmont, Pa.. June IS R-Tom. my Armour today is open golf cham. pion of the United States, thanks as much to his heart as his hands. The Scotsman who Is pro at the Con- gressional Country club, of Washing ton. in defeating Harry Cooper, 22- year-old Los Angeles professional, in an 1s-hole play of yesterday. after g. tie at 72 holes in the open. won his title with a courageous exhibition. The score was 76 to 79, but the three strokes were gained late in the day. two coming at the sixteenth and the third at the eighteenth where it did not mean anything.
 Off in front. Armour. who rose from private to staffma jor in the British army during the war and was seriously wounded. saw his lead shot away and finally was forced to stand by and See his youthful rival so two strokes ahead! The veteran, much older in golf than his years would suggest. staged his comeback with 8 long putt at the 18th, where he squared the count. His victory seem- ed certain when he came from the rough close by the pin on the 18th where Cooper floundered in trap and finally took five strokes. Armour was leading by a stroke coming to the ninth, but he was con- tent with a par five there, while Cooper got down a Birdie four. mak- ing the strokes the same for the nine holes, 39. Armour needed three strokes to reach the tenth green and lost a stroke to his opponent and was two strokes behind after the elev- enth where his tee shot found cross ditch and his recovery went into trap after striking the edge of the green. After halving the twelfth in par five, Armour regained stroke at the 164 yard thirteenth, where Cooper was off the green with his tee shot and needed two butts after getting on. Armour getting down in | two.
 The fifteenth was one Of the three 1 big holes of the play-off. Here both were in traps after their second shots and both came out onto the green 1 about fifty feet from the pin. Armour | went boldly for the cup and was all square again when the long putt dropped in.
 ! The treacherous sixteenth gave Armour mortgage on the title and the seventeenth foreclosed it. At | 16,234 yards long but par three, Ar- mour's spoon shot struck the green and trickled over but not too far. Coopers tee shot was to the right of the geren in trap. Cooper blazed away at the ball but succeeded only in getting it in the grass on the side of the trap. Armour carefully chip- ped to within three feet of the cup while Cooper, already in a serious situation, made it worse when he failed to get close from the edge of the green and had to take two putts.
 Two great shots on the seven. teenth practically ended the contest. regardless of the eighteenth. Armour crashed out tremendous drive of 25O yards to within sight of the winding, sloping green. Cooper from well back. sent his approach Gpin- ring to the green and within eigh- teen inches of the cup. Armour then boldly shot for the cup. over a deep trap that might have eaten up any number Of strokes. He was inside Cooper a few inches and the two birdies left the Washingtonian two strokes to the good with one hole to play.
 Armour reached the home green in two while Cooper needed three and was then too far away to hope for his putt to go down. Armour could then take four butts to win but he only took two and was champion.
 Armour, a modest golfer. explain- cd his victory by saying he 'got the breaks" Cooper. a sensational shot maker, was not downhearted and declared: T was lucky to get as far as ! did,"
 The stern unfeeling 'Oakmont course stood Up under the strain of the extra round, the winner being four strokes over par and the loser seven strokes above perfect golf for the course Of 8 hundred traps. The nhrase ahout fhe m nnr hainv