Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-27
WALTER
HAGEN
T AK S
1T OVER
BY WALTER HAGEN,
American Professional Golf Champion. the
only PLAYER to win both American and
British Open Championships twice.

American Professional Golf Champion. the
only PLAYER 10 win both American and
British Open Championships twice.
June has been a great month in
golf
Tommy Armour is the new open
champion. The British invasion was
turned back. Bobby Jones proved him.
self human. The Oakmont course in
Pittsburgh established itself as the
most difficult test of golf in America.
Tommy Armour said in his talk at
Oakmont following the presentation Of
the championship cup, that he hoped
Harry Cooper, his opponent in the
play-off for the title, would not have
to wait as long as he to gain the open
crown.
Armour was a good amateur golfer
around Edinburgh, Scotland, before
the war. He was picked for Scotland S
amateur teams to meet England.
George Greenwood, one Of the best
critics of golf in Great Britain, wrote
more than 10 years ago that Tommy
Armour hit iron club strokes better
than any amateur in Europe, and as
well as any professional.
A few days ago this same Armour,
after long drive down the fairway
of the fifteenth hole, in the last round
of the open golf championship of the
United States. was called upon to
hit a shot with an iron club. A num-
Der Of other golfers who still had had
q chance when they came to this same
shot had failed, and the hole had
been extracting IS and even 6s and
spelling the last chance of more
than one player.
Armour hit one Of his best iron
shots, was we'll on the green and near
~ holed A putt for a 8, but he got his
par and this enabled him to keep on
trying. II was another great iron
stroke, his second to the eighteenth,
which put Tommy's ball close enough
to the hole to give him a chance to
tie Cooper.
Showed Stuff at Pasadena.
When Armour came to America
critics quickly recognized his ability,
especially with irons. After a few
seasons as an amateur. Armour be-
came a professional and one Of his
first open tournament wins as pro-
fessional was when he took first prize
in the West Coast of Florida Open,
at Pasadena. Tommy's irons never
worked better for him than at Pasa-
dena.
The new champion has been one
of the most ardent Of the touring pro-
fessionals. He has missed hardly a
tournament and he has won his
share Of money. His win at Oak
mont is no chance shot, Tommy is
one Of the players who are good
enough TO win any championship.
There are a great many of these in
America, and We are developing
more every year.
AS look over the field which con-
tested at Oakmont | can name %
players good enough to win. The
line between success and failure is
drawn very fine in many branches
of endeavor, but in none could II
be more so than in championship golf
Take the cases Of Harry Cooper, Bill
Mehlhorn. Emmett French and Gene
SaraZen. at Oakmont.
Gene Sarazen finally finished third
lust one stroke behind Armour and
Cooper.
I'D just as soon be fiftieth as d
shot behind, said Gene.
No Alibis Offered.
None of these boys offered al
alibi. and they all congratulated
Armour in whole souled manner, bu'
Il is heart breaking TO finish Sc
close and vet so very far away in the
open championship.
Take Harry COOPER. lie was FRS