There are some records in sport and golf you might want to have, but then there are others that you simply want to have nothing to do with and unfortunately for Tommy Armour, that’s where he sits.
Armour was a Scottish golfer who played most of his best golf through the 1930s, although he did win the US Open in 1927 to kick off his major run.
Armour went on to win The Open in 1931, following on from winning the PGA Championship in 1930.
However, while Armour had plenty of success and racked up 25 wins on the PGA Tour overall, he is also the owner of one of the most unwanted records in golf.
Tommy Armour’s record amount of shots on one hole that remains a PGA Tour record
As we all know, golf is a sport of fine margins and at times, meltdowns can ensue from nowhere.
We’ve seen the very best like Tiger Woods take 12 shots on a hole, while John Daly is not averse to taking plenty of shots as he tries to make a point.
However, nobody can come close to what Tommy Armour managed 1927 Shawnee Open.
During that tournament, Armour apparently recorded what is known as an ‘archaeopteryx’, or in simple terms, a score of 15 or more on a single hole.
Still, while there are confirmed reports that Armour did have a meltdown on the 17th hole in the event, there are multiple conflicting reports of what the actual score was.
Some suggest it was as low as 11, while some cite Armour hitting a whopping 10 drives out of bounds and making a 23.
Regardless, the legend of Tommy Armour is there and for any golf historians, it’s going to be a story worth looking into in more detail to hound out the truth.
Who is Tommy Armour?
Tommy Armour was born in Edinburgh, Scotland but held dual nationality with the USA as he carved his way in the sport.
He turned pro in 1924, although he had already won a PGA Tour event in 1920 when he landed the Pinehurst Fall Pro-Am Bestball.
From there, his talent was obvious and he won three more times before winning his first major in 1927.
More wins followed, including a PGA Championship and The Open, and carried on winning right until the end of the 1930s when he won the Mid-South Open in 1938 to round out a fine career.
Armour was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1976 before he sadly passed away in 1968 at the age of just 71.