Chandler “Old Bones” Harper, PGA Championship winner in 1950 and PGA Hall of Fame inductee in 1968 – died Monday in Portsmouth, Virginia from complications due to pneumonia.
Known for his wiry, thin frame, Chandler competed in the first nationally televised golf tournament, the 1953 (“Tam O’Shanter”) World Championship of Golf. Chandler held a one-shot lead over Lew Worsham when Worsham holed a 115-yard wedge shot for eagle and a one-shot victory.
With eleven career PGA Tour victories, Harper retired after participating in the 1955 Ryder Cup matches. After retiring, Harper was instrumental in the design and construction of the Bide-A-Wee Golf Course in Portsmouth, Virginia, which hosted the Virginia State Open four times.
Harper and Strange at the 1999 Re-Opening of Bide-A-Wee Golf Course
Harper later played an important role in the life of two-time US Open champion Curtis Strange after his father Tom Strange died of cancer. Curtis, who was fourteen when his father passed away, became a pupil of Harper’s.
He was not a guru like today’s gurus. He taught as a player. …One thing I remember about him is he never subdued my enthusiasm. He was from the old school, and he was always good to me.
Harper’s funeral service will be Friday in Portsmouth.