Life of Bermuda’s trailblazing Black Professional Golfer Celebrated at Mid Ocean Club
Keith Pearman, the first Black Bermudian to win a prestigious tournament after desegregation, and host to President George H. W. Bush, remembered by members of Mid Ocean Club, Port Royal and Ocean View
The life of a trailblazing Black professional golfer and one of Bermuda’s most loved sporting ambassadors was celebrated at Mid Ocean Club on September 12, 2026.
Keith Pearman died in 2021 aged 77, but his memory lives on with an annual tournament celebrating his life and legacy at the club where he served as professional for 30 years – the first Bermudian to hold the role and the longest tenure in the Club’s history.
In a new video to mark the pioneering golfer’s life, players from across the island – including Port Royal and Ocean View Golf Course, where Pearman learned to play golf – said Pearman had been an ‘ambassador’ for Bermuda.
Allan Marshall, President of Mid Ocean Club, said: “This event commemorates someone who always tried to bring people together. Keith had that infectious bond of Bermudian hospitality and love for everyone no matter your colour, your creed, your wealth.
“I always adored Keith, with his reputation and his infectious laughter; all the attributes he brought to the table, everything he did for golf and Bermuda, you just had to love him.”
Larry Brangman, a member of the Executive Committee at Ocean View Golf Course, said: “The early days would have been significant because coloured folks couldn’t play a lot of places.
“The turnout for his memorial tournament just shows he had reached that goal of making sure everybody could play golf.”
In an illustrious career, Keith Pearman became the first Black Bermudian to win the prestigious Belmont Invitational in 1969, two years after the desegregation of local golf.
He also hosted United States President George H. W. Bush for a round of golf during a visit to Bermuda in 1991.
In a personal note on White House headed stationery, President Bush wrote, “Dear Keith: What a pleasure to play a round with a champ like you during my visit to beautiful Bermuda.”
Valerie Nearon, Mid Ocean Club member, summed up the feelings of many when she said: “Whenever we got together, it was always Keith who had this funny laugh. Even if you were down, he’d bring you back with that laugh of his.”
Larry Brangman added: “This is his legacy and I’m hoping this generation passes on to the next generation – and the next generation understands who Keith was and what he did for golf at Mid Ocean Club, Port Royal and Ocean View.”