By Tim Rogers
NOPGA Media
AKRON: A perfect ending to this story would be that our hero makes a ton of birdies, a bunch of eagles and stages one of the greatest comebacks of the PGA Tour Champions season and rides off into the sunset with his eyes on the next big prize.
Storybook endings are not the norm in professional sports. Oh, they happen and it happened on Sunday in many, many ways.
But, they are as hard to come by as a winning Powerball lottery ticket.
Seldom do we hear of a long-shot getting the blue ribbon or the underdog beating the tested, grizzled veteran who owns enough majors to fill a trophy case in anyone’s home except for those owned by Nicklaus and Woods
That does not mean that things didn’t end well for Ryan Armour during Sunday’s final round of the final Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone Country Club.
Shooting a final-round, one-under 69 was part redemption, part ego-mending and part validation to his Saturday overtime hours on the practice range.
It put a fine ending to what he called “an excellent two weeks back home” following his tie for 26th in the U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club in Columbus two weeks ago.
And, it begged for an answer to the age-old question, WHAT IF?
WHAT IF Armour, the native of Silver Lake, graduate of Walsh Jesuit, former Ohio State All-American and the hero of our story had not shot a crushing, 6-over 76 in Saturday’s third round?
WHAT IF he had come in with a third straight 68 and stayed solidly in the red numbers at 6-under instead of 2-over?
WHAT IF he had been able to coax some of those critical, near-miss putts to fall instead of stopping a fraction of an inch short or burning the edge as they slipped by?
We know. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts every day would be Christmas.
Armour, who has qualified for the Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles in 11 days – he is taking his wife, Erin and sons Patrick and Ben – finished his third senior major and just his sixth senior event at 68-68-76-69=281, one-over and in a tie for 23rd.
Armour probably was as responsible for selling the most tickets. He estimated 20 of his family and friends attended all four rounds. While he probably expected to play better he beat some pretty big names . . . Steve Stricker, David Duval, David Toms, Kenny Perry. Is that any consolation?
Not in a million years. Not for Ryan Armour, who never met a challenge he didn’t think he could beat.
After the dreaded 76 Armour was blunt and offered no excuses, as his his way. “I just played bad,” he said.
He had seven bogeys and one birdie. On Sunday it was three birdies and two bogeys. He played his final 14 holes in bogey-free 2-under.
“I fought hard on Thursday and Friday and I fought hard on Saturday,” he said. “I just played bad. And, I fought hard today.”
It showed. His game was much improved on Sunday. He missed maybe four fairways but was able to rescue himself and avoid a big number.
Armour, who turned 50 in February and did not hear that he would be included in the Kaulig field until Monday via sponsor’s exemption, started his day on the 10th hole and made two bogeys and a birdie through his first four holes.
The birdie came via a 21-foot, double-breaking – right-to-left, then left-to-right — uphill putt on the 180-yard 12th. He bogeyed the 13th from the middle of the fairway but he went on to play his final 14 holes in two-under.
His final nine included a birdie on the 420-yard third hole when his 9-iron second set up a 15-foot, right-to-left birdie putt. He also made a marvelous sand save on the 470-yard eighth when his second shot caught the right-side bunker and he blasted to about four feet from about 25 yards and made the tough downhiller.
He finished with six straight pars.
As he approached the ninth green – his final hole of the day – he received a warm ovation from the crowd, acknowledging his local ties. He tipped and waved his hat in appreciation while wearing a smile as wide as I-77 then drained about a 6-foot downhiller for par. It marked a triumphant return to the South Course.
“It was excellent,” he said, of his final steps on the South Course.
With his voice quivering, he said, “I mean, ever since I was a little kid — man I’m gonna choke up – I’ve wanted to make that walk. I would have preferred making it closer to the lead group, but I’ll tell you what . . . I have had a really fun two weeks. Scioto, being there having gone to school at Ohio State and then coming here where I grew up it’s just been awesome.”
See, there are storybook endings in professional sports. Some come with different, more personal plots. This was one of them.
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