Chandler Harper

John Chandler Harper (March 10, 1914 – November 8, 2004) was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the PGA Championship in 1950. He won seven times on the PGA Tour and played in the Ryder Cup in 1955.^[2]

Chandler Harper
Personal information
Full name	John Chandler Harper
Nickname	Old Bones[1]
Born	(1914-03-10)March 10, 1914 Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.
Died	November 8, 2004(2004-11-08) (aged 90) Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	175 lb (79 kg; 12.5 st)
Sporting nationality	United States
Career
Turned professional	1934
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	21
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	7
Other	14
Best results in major championships (wins: 1)
Masters Tournament	T8: 1947
PGA Championship	Won: 1950
U.S. Open	T15: 1946
The Open Championship	DNP

Harper was born, raised and lived his entire life in Portsmouth, Virginia. He was prominent in Virginia golf, winning the Virginia State Amateur three times (1930, 1932, 1934) and the Virginia State Open nine times (1932, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1952, 1960, 1967, 1968, 1970), a record which stands today. His golfing career was interrupted by service in the U.S. Navy during World War II.^[1][2]

Harper's competitive career lasted from 1938 to 1955; and like most professional golfers of his generation, he spent most of his time as a club professional. Harper compensated for his lack of driving distance with a strong short game; Ben Hogan said that Harper was the best putter on Tour.^[1][2]

After Curtis Strange's father died when he was 14, Harper became Strange's mentor. He was also a long-time friend of Bobby Jones. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1973 and to the PGA Hall of Fame in 1968. In 1956, Harper founded Bide-A-Wee Golf Course in his hometown of Portsmouth, and managed the course until he retired in 1992.^[1] He died at the age of 90 of complications from pneumonia.^[2]

Professional wins (21)

PGA Tour wins (7)

• 1942 (1) Miami Biltmore International Four-Ball (with Herman Keiser)
• 1950 (2) Tucson Open, PGA Championship
• 1953 (1) El Paso Open
• 1954 (1) Texas Open
• 1955 (2) Virginia Beach Open, Colonial National Invitation

Major championship is shown in bold.

Other wins (12)

• 1932 Virginia Open (as an amateur)
• 1938 Virginia Open
• 1940 Virginia Open
• 1941 Virginia Open
• 1952 Virginia Open
• 1954 Middle Atlantic PGA Championship
• 1960 Virginia PGA Open
• 1967 Virginia PGA Open
• 1968 Virginia PGA Open, Virginia PGA Open
• 1969 Virginia PGA Open
• 1970 Virginia PGA Open

Senior wins (2)

• 1968 PGA Seniors' Championship, World Senior Championship

Major championships

Wins (1)

Year	Championship	Winning score	Runner-up
1950	PGA Championship	4 & 3	Henry Williams, Jr.

Note: The PGA Championship was match play until 1958

Results timeline

Tournament	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open	CUT		CUT		CUT
PGA Championship

Tournament	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949
Masters Tournament			13	NT	NT	NT	19	T8	T40
U.S. Open			NT	NT	NT	NT	T15	WD	WD	CUT
PGA Championship				NT			R32	R32	R32	R16

Tournament	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959
Masters Tournament		WD	T38	T10	WD	WD		CUT	CUT	T14
U.S. Open			T41	WD	CUT	WD
PGA Championship	1	R64	R32	R64			R16	R128	CUT	WD

Tournament	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969
Masters Tournament	CUT	WD	T48
U.S. Open
PGA Championship	CUT							DQ

Tournament	1970	1971
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open
PGA Championship		WD

Note: Harper never played in The Open Championship.

  Win

  Top 10

  Did not play

NT = no tournament
WD = withdrew
DQ = disqualified
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary

Tournament	Wins	2nd	3rd	Top-5	Top-10	Top-25	Events	Cuts made
Masters Tournament	0	0	0	0	2	5	15	7
U.S. Open	0	0	0	0	0	1	11	2
The Open Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
PGA Championship	1	0	0	1	3	7	14	10
Totals	1	0	0	1	5	13	40	19

• Most consecutive cuts made – 5 (twice)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (five times)

U.S. national team appearances

• Ryder Cup: 1955 (winners)
• Hopkins Trophy: 1954 (winners)

See also

• Biography portal

• List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins
• List of men's major championships winning golfers

References

1. Ducibella, Jim (November 9, 2004). "Local golf legend, mentor and Hall of Famer, dies". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on November 21, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
2. Litsky, Frank (November 12, 2004). "Chandler Harper, Winner of 7 Professional Golf Tournaments, Dies at 90". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2008.