Tommy Armour Thomas Dickson Armour ( 24 September 1894 – 11 September 1968 ) was a Scottish - American professional golfer . He was nicknamed The Silver Scot . Armour was born in Edinburgh , Scotland , and educated at Fettes College and the University of Edinburgh . During his service in World War I , Armour rose from a private to Staff Major in the Tank Corps . His conduct earned him an audience with George V . However , he lost his sight to a mustard gas explosion and surgeons had to add a metal plate to his head and left arm . During his convalescence , he regained the sight of his right eye , and began playing much more golf . Armour won the French Amateur tournament in 1920 . He moved to the United States and met Walter Hagen , who gave him a job as secretary of the Westchester - Biltmore Club . He became a U . S . citizen at this time . He competed in important amateur tournaments in the U . S . for a time , and in 1924 became a professional golfer . Armour won the 1927 U . S . Open , 1930 PGA Championship , and the 1931 Open Championship . His 1930 campaign was overshadowed by Bobby Jones ' Grand Slam , and Armour seems to have been overlooked . Armour also won the Canadian Open three times , a feat exceeded only by Leo Diegel , who won four . At the Shawnee Open in 1927 , Armour scored the first ever " Archaeopteryx " ( 15 or more over par ) when he made a 23 on a par 5 , for 18 - over par . This still stands as the highest score on one hole in PGA history . This historic performance happened just one week after winning the U . S . Open . Armour retired from full - time professional golf after the 1935 season , although he competed periodically in top - class events for several years afterwards . He taught at the Boca Raton Club in Florida , for $ 50 a lesson . His pupils included Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Lawson Little . He was also a member at the Winged Foot Golf Club in suburban New York City , where he spent much of his summers . During World War II , Armour played in exhibitions for USO and Red Cross . Armour co - wrote a book " How to Play Your Best Golf All the Time " ( 1953 ) with Herb Graffis . It became a best - seller and for many years was the biggest - selling book ever authored on golf . A series of 8mm films based on the book was released by Castle Films including Short Game parts I and II , Long Hitting Clubs , Grip and Stance . Armour died in Larchmont , New York , and was cremated at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale , New York , but is not interred there . Some modern golf equipment is still marketed in his name . Armour is succeeded by his grandson , Tommy Armour III , who is a two - time winner on the PGA Tour and currently holds the record for the lowest total score on 72 holes ( 254 ) , which he set in his second PGA Tour victory at the Valero Texas Open . Armour was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1976 . Professional wins . PGA Tour wins ( 25 ) . Major championships are shown in bold . Major championships . Wins ( 3 ) . Defeated Harry Cooper in an 18 - hole playoff : Armour 76 ( + 4 ) , Cooper 79 ( + 7 ) . < br > " Note : The PGA Championship was match play until 1958 " Results timeline . NYF = Tournament not yet founded < br > NT = No tournament < br > DNP = Did not play < br > WD = Withdrew < br > CUT = missed the half - way cut < br > R64 , R32 , R16 , QF , SF = Round in which player lost in match play < br > " T " indicates a tie for a place < br > Green background for wins . Yellow background for top - 10 . Source for U . S . Open and U . S . Amateur : USGA Championship Database The Amateur Championship sources : 1920 , 1921 .