Most amateur golfers know someone who is occasionally prone to a ‘blow-up’ hole on the course.
When a double bogey turns into a quadruple, only for a ten or 11 to eventually be scribbled down on a scorecard.
Within the recreational ranks, such an eventuality isn’t a rare occurrence. However, when a professional makes a big number, it will almost certainly make the headlines.
Aguri Iwasaki made back-to-back nines at the 2024 Open Championship and is the most recent high-profile example of a pro blowing up.
John Daly also made a ten at the 2015 PGA Championship, which resulted in his club being thrown into Lake Michigan. However, Iwasaki and Daly’s meltdowns are nothing compared to the biggest score ever recorded on the PGA Tour.
Tommy Armour holds an unwanted PGA Tour record
Tommy Armour is the man who currently holds the record for the highest score ever recorded on one hole.
96 years ago, at the 1927 Shawnee Open, Armour recorded an ‘archaeopteryx’, which is a score of 15 over or more.
However, there are conflicting reports about what actually happened. Some say Armour hit ten consecutive drives out of bounds, while others say he encountered issues on the greens.
Those who believe Armour hooked his tee shots out of bounds suggest he aimed a long way down the right and continuously made the same mistake over and over again.
He would eventually aim his 11th shot straight down the fairway and find the short grass.
Who is Tommy Armour? The man with the highest score in PGA Tour history
Armour was a Scottish-American who was nicknamed the Silver Scot. He won three major championships, including the 1927 US Open, 1930 PGA Championship and 1931 Open Championship. Armour’s best finish in the Masters came during the 1937 edition.
Overall, Armour won 25 times on the PGA Tour before he retired from the game in 1935, although he competed sporadically afterwards. He was a member of Winged Foot in New York, which was the scene of Bryson DeChambeau’s maiden major championship victory.
The Scot was also the man who popularised the term ‘yips’, which has been a long term involving a sudden loss of skill.
Armour died on 11 September 1968 in New York but has since been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
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