Evening star., 1950-06-28
Harper, PGA Champ, Plans to Cash In
On His 'Once-in-o-Lifetine' Break
By MerreIl Whittlesey
Stor StoF CoSrespondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June %
Chandler Harper, professional at
the Glensheallah Club at Ports
mouth. Va. co-owner of a small
loan company. stockholder and
organizer of Portsmouth's new
Elizabeth Manor course, suddenly
has new commitments.
The 36-year-old Virginian is
going home to attend a hurriedly
arranged banquet in his honor
and then hit the tournament trail
to cash in on his national PGA
title, won yesterday at Scioto
Country Club by a 4-and-3 mar
gin over Henry Williams, jr., of
Secane. Pa.
Harper. positively brilliant in
racing through his first five op-
ponentS, including, golf greats
Lloyd Mangrum and Jimmy De-
maret, overcame that bad round
he was afraid he had coming, and
IN the afternoon nailed his husky.
younger opponent with some more
sub-par shotmaking.
Plans More Appearances.
Effective with the $4,000 Motor
City Open this week end in De-
troit, Harper collects the $3.50 ap-
pearance money that goes to the
PGA champion, and he hopes to
make the most of his title. Here
tofore he has made most of the
winter tour but only the major
events in the summer. Now he
Will be must" to the tourna-
ment sponsors. and he plans to
compete wherever possible.
MY biggest job is at home
Chandler said. but after all some
thing like this comes only once in
lifetime. I know the folks in
Portsmouth will understand if ri
play in more tournaments than n
planned"
Harper pocketed $500 for his
unexpected triumph in this week
long tournament, and presumably
his Wilson Sporting Goods Co
packers match the purse as this
is a bonus tournament. Harper
leaped to ninth on the 1850 PGAI
prize money list with $7,082.5 inI
winnings, and picked up 100 points
which probably will give him q
place on next years Ryder CUP
team.
chandler. who long has been
playing in Sam Snead's shadow
IN his native Virginia, brings the
PGA title to the Old Dominion
Tor the second straight year. This
is Harper's sixth PGA, but pre-
vlously the third round was his
best performance. after I passed
that third round I began to think
l had a pretty good chance, .
ne said yesterday in the biggest
press conference in his lifetime
Biggest Upset Since 1881.
Harper becomes the biggest up.
set victor in the grueling match
play championship of the pro-
fesslonals since Tom Creavy won
in 1881. Creavy was 20 years
old when he won and great things
were expected of him, but illness
cut short his golf career.
There have been so-called
cheese champions" in the Ma
tional Open, but the proud boast
OF the pros is that only golf greats
have won the PGA title. Creavy
was the least known, and Bob
Hamilton didn't win much of i'm
portance after he won in 1914.
but Hamilton beat wartime field
For 208 holes since qualifying
started last Wednesday, Harper
was 81 under par over a course
that measures every bit of its re-
corded 1882 yards. It was strange
to some that Harper, known as a
comparatively short hitter, won
over a long golf course, but he
was driving better here than at
any time in his career.
Great emphasis was placed on
Harper's brilliant putting at Sci
oto, and it was fitting that he
iSee GOLF, Page C-4)