Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-17
Gallant Finish Enables Armour To Tie Cooper For National Open Colt Title

the rough, played his third shot into
a bunker near the green, and still
was in the bunker, playing his fourth
shot.
Armour Receivers Grip.
Then he came to. He Clipped out
Of the trap to within four feet of the
hole and blew the putt, taking Z.
That left him needing four pars and
two brides to tie. He got par at
the short thirteenth. hooked his tee
shot to a bunker at the fourteenth
| pitched out and took a 5, one over
par. Now the task was doubly diff
cult. And he came to the 4T5-yard
! fifteenth, where he had taken I on
{ the first round. He stuck an iron
shot 25' feet from the pin. waited
around until his partner, Neil Chris
tan of Washington. found his bali
| and then stepped up to his putt. Truly
he hit it and the ball ran true until it
got within six inches Of the cup. Then
| II faded away, and, striking the rim.
stayed out. Tom said afterward that
he almost gave up after that hole. II
had little hope when that putt stayed
out" he said. THAT broke my heart"
But there still was lots of fight in
this son of Scotia, for he hooked his
tee shot to a trap at the 234-yard six
teenth and played one Of the finest
explosion shots of the day tn get
his par 8.
That left him with a par and a
birdie to tie. two brides to win. A
2S0-yard tee shot went booming
down the fairway at the seventeenth
and Tom Clipped up to within nine
feet. His putt again curled away.
And 5000 spectators. banked around
him and ranged far behind the un-
dulating eighteenth green, knew
Armour needed a 3 to tie. \ singing
tee shot ranged 200 yards d ,wn the
eighteenth fairway and Tommy had
two shots to tie.
Journeys Brilliant Finish.
Now. even the professionals VIII
admit there is not greater iron
player in the world than Tommy
Armour, and those who know him
know what he can do under pes
sure. So there he stood. 100 yards
from the green. needing p'tch and
putt to tie. Out came a No. 3
iron, and long he pondered the shot.
He made 1t and from the tremendous
gallery, banked far around the wide
reaches of the green came up shout
telling of the end Of the chase.
Tommy came up. He saw he had
to hole the 12-footer to tie. Neil
Christian putted out. to make way
for the championship contender.
the line Of that putt from front and
rear. Carefully he looked over the
bumps in the undulating green that
faced his bid for the title. Ard he
stepped up and holed 1t.
Oakmont has heard many yell OF
victory and has seen many a cham
pion crowned, but probably never
before has 1t heard the Shrek that
went up as Armour's ball nestled in
the bottom Of the cup to tie Cooper.
And then Tommy went to his friends.
They took him. brown sweater and
ali. far from the adulating throng
that acclaimed the hero of the hour.
into the locker room where he sat
down to speculate on the shots that
first lost and then brought him into
the tie. A number Of Scotland's lead.
ing golfing sons We're there-George
Duncan, Jock Hutchinson, Fred Nc
Leod, Bob Macdonald, Jack Forester
and many others.
So Tommy comes today to his path
Of glory. He should prevail, for no
man ever made a finer bid. He should
win on his golf alone, for he caught
Cooper over the last three rounds
after Cooper led him by four shots
at the end of the first round. And
no man in this tournament has been
hitting his shots better than Tommy
Armour.
Cooper Weakens Near End.
Cooper had his Gethsemane at the
third and fourth yesterday-two soul
searching holes that test the spirit of
any man, great though he may be.
Here Harry took brace of IS. to
finally stagger out in 80 strokes. with
the aid OF birdie at the seventh
and par at the eighth. where Tom
Armour consistently drove into the
bunker at the right of the green. And
Harry took 6 at the twelfth. where
he ran into three puts. But the sew.
enteenth really was his undoing. Here
he drove $50 yards. Clipped over a
bunker to within feet. went too
boldly for his and took s. He fin
ished with 4. but it was nowhere
near the nervy finish of Armour.