Chandler Egan

Henry Chandler Egan (August 21, 1884 – April 5, 1936) was an American amateur golfer and golf course architect of the early 20th century.

Early life and college Egan was born in Chicago, Illinois, which at the end of the 19th century was the epicenter of golf in the United States – the first 18-hole golf course in the country, the Chicago Golf Club, in Wheaton, was built there in 1895. Egan played his first game of golf in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin at the age of 12. He attended secondary school at the Rugby School in Kenilworth, and was a star football player on its team. The school did not have a golf team, so Chandler developed his golf game at his father's club, Exmoor Country Club. He was accepted to Harvard University, where he soon became the captain of the college golf team. The team won three team NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships from 1902 to 1904, and Egan won the individual title in 1902.

Championships and Olympics Egan won his first non-collegiate tournament in the 1902 Western Amateur, which was played at the Chicago Golf Club. Not only was the tournament played in his home metropolitan area, but the runner-up was his cousin Walter Egan.

In 1904, Egan achieved the pinnacle of U.S. amateur golf success by winning the U.S. Amateur, played at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey. He successfully defended his title a year later at his home turf of the Chicago Golf Club.

Egan appeared to be peaking at the right time to also win an individual silver medal at the 1904 Summer Olympics, which featured golf for the last time in 1904. While Egan's U.S. team (which also included cousin Walter) won team gold, Egan had to settle for individual silver, as he was defeated by Canadian George Lyon, who at 46, was more than twice Egan's age. Egan later admitted he had been outclassed by the wily Lyon, whose massive drives forced Egan out of his usual game. He would win the Pacific Northwest Amateur four more times, in 1920, 1923, 1925, and 1932. He played on two U.S. championship Walker Cup teams in 1930 and 1934. In 1929, Egan partnered with legendary golf architect Alister MacKenzie to renovate Pebble Beach Golf Links for the 1929 U.S. Amateur, in which Egan played and reached the semifinals. His funeral was held in Seattle and he was buried in Chicago.

Egan's Olympic medals were discovered after the death of his daughter in 2012. They went on display in 2016 at the USGA Museum, Oakmont Country Club during the U.S. Open and the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Golf courses designed Egan designed the following golf courses: Seaside Golf Club, Seaside, Oregon The Oaks at Rogue Valley Country Club, Medford, Oregon Plantation Country Club, Boise, Idaho The Rogue at Rogue Valley Country Club, Medford, Oregon Tualatin Country Club, Tualatin, Oregon Legion Memorial Golf Course, Everett, Washington Waverley Country Club, Portland, Oregon West Seattle Golf Club, Seattle, Washington Egan aided Alister MacKenzie and Robert Hunter during the construction of The Union League Golf and Country Club, which is now Green Hills Country Club in Millbrae, California in 1929. Egan, along with Robert Hunter, was a construction assistant to Alister Mackenzie on Sharp Park Golf Course, Pacifica, California (1932) Sharp Park is one of MacKenzie's few municipal courses, and his only public seaside links. Baywood Golf & Country Club, Arcata, California

Tournament wins 1902 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships (individual and team), Western Amateur 1903 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships (team) 1904 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships (team), Western Amateur, U.S. Amateur 1905 Western Amateur, U.S. Amateur 1907 Western Amateur 1915 Pacific Northwest Amateur 1920 Pacific Northwest Amateur 1923 Pacific Northwest Amateur 1925 Pacific Northwest Amateur 1926 California State Amateur, Bahamas Amateur 1932 Pacific Northwest Amateur

Major championships Wins (2) YearChampionshipWinning scoreRunner-up 1904 U.S. Amateur 8 & 6 Fred Herreshoff 1905 U.S. Amateur 6 & 5 Daniel Sawyer

Results timeline

M = Medalist LA = Low amateur NYF = Tournament not yet founded NT = No tournament "T" indicates a tie for a place DNQ = Did not qualify for match play portion R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play

Source for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database

Source for 1934 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 22, 1934, pg. 10.

U.S. national team appearances Walker Cup: 1930 (winners), 1934 (winners)