Armour to play at Open 25 years after losing spot to Woods

Ryan Armour was practicing under the broiling sun of late afternoon when his quiet routine was interrupted by thousands of fans jostling for space on the path along the chipping area as they raced to the 10th tee.

Tiger Woods was making the turn at the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm two weeks ago.

Armour understands the fuss.

They were linked together in a memorable encounter 25 years ago that served as a reminder that nothing comes easily in golf.

He was beating Woods in the final of the 1993 U.S. Junior Amateur, 2 up with two holes to play, when Woods birdied the last two holes and won with a par on the first extra hole for his third straight USGA title .

Woods kept winning. Three straight U.S. Amateurs followed, and then 79 titles on the PGA Tour, including 14 majors.

Armour kept grinding.

All the hard work paid off that week at the TPC Potomac when Armour closed with a 68 for a runner-up finish, earning a spot in the British Open. It will be his first major. He is 42, two months older than Woods.

Armour, an All-American at Ohio State, would have thought he’d have played in a major by now, especially with some 20 trips to U.S. Open qualifying.

Just don’t get the idea that simply qualifying is cause for celebration.

When a player has been toiling for more than half his life at a sport that can be maddening, when he has played nearly twice as many as Web.com Tour events as PGA Tour events over the years, this whole season feels like a major.

“What comes with winning is so huge, and that’s why I think — I call myself part of the rank-and-file — we take every event very serious,” Armour said. “I’m mostly excited to be at Carnoustie because it’s a links golf course, and that brings us a different set of challenges.”