Armour blasts into US Tour record books

TOMMY ARMOUR III claimed his first PGA Tour win in 13 years and set a scoring record at the same time in the Texas Open at San Antonio.

The 43-year-old, who lives in Dallas, finished with a Tour-record 72-hole aggregate total of 26-under-par on 254.

Armour said: "It's nice, I guess, to have the all-time record. I didn't really think about it until about five or six holes to go.

"I said, 'If I make a few birdies, I could have a shot at that'."

Armour eclipsed Mark Calcavecchia's aggregate record of 256 established at the 2001 Phoenix Open at the par-70 LaCantera Golf Club and earned a $630,000 (545,000) first prize. Calcavecchia finished the Phoenix Open at 28-under, blistering the par-71 TPC of Scottsdale.

"It was funny," Armour said. "I asked my caddie on the 18th hole what the all-time low record was out here. He wasn't sure and said I probably needed to make a par or birdie for it.

"I figured OK, and then I hooked it into the bunker and hit a terrible shot out of there. I did make the putt, and I thought that the record would be nice to have, being 43 and doing that."

Armour also broke Donnie Hammond's PGA Tour record in relation to a par-70 course. Hammond finished the 1989 Texas Open at 22-under. Ernie Els' 31-under on a par-73 course at this year's Mercedes Championships is the all-time record for a 72-hole event.

Without a Tour card since 2000, Armour moved to 75th on the money list after collecting the largest cheque of his career. He did not make a bogey until his 64th hole of the tournament the par-four Sunday and added one more on the final hole.

"My bogey was a three-putt," he said. "I completely misread that first putt. I've worked pretty hard for the past five, six months and it paid off today."

Armour's 254 total also broke the tournament mark of 257 set in 1955 by Mike Souchak at Brackendridge Park Golf Club, which was the Tour's aggregate mark until Calcavecchia broke it.

Armour had 28 birdies and only two bogeys for the week, shooting rounds of 64-62-63-65.

Defending champion Loren Roberts and Bob Tway shared second place at 19-under on 261.

Duffy Waldorf started the day second, six shots behind Armour, and birdied the first three holes to cut the margin to three. But he could not keep up the pace and faded to fourth place on 262. Aaron Baddeley of Australia shot a 62 and took fifth spot.

Tway's second-place finish came on the heels of his win at the Canadian Open, where he beat Brad Faxon in a play-off. Tway was astounded with Armour's performance. "I'd like to have highlights of how he did it," he said. "I think all of us would."