Paul Runyan

Paul Scott Runyan was an American professional golfer. Among the world's best players in the mid-1930s, he won two PGA Championships and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Runyan was also a golf instructor.

Early life

Runyan was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He started out as a caddie and then an apprentice at a golf course in his hometown.

Professional career

Runyan turned pro at the age of 17. He was head professional at a Little Rock club by age 18. Runyan served as head pro at Metropolis Country Club in White Plains, New York from 1931 to 1943 during which time he won both of his PGA Championships.
In 1934, Runyan defeated Craig Wood in extra holes in the title match of the PGA Championship, the first of his two PGA Championships. Of Runyan's 29 career PGA Tour wins, 16 of them came in 1933 and 1934, and his nine wins in 1933 make him one of only seven golfers to win nine or more times in one year on the PGA Tour. In the first Masters Tournament in 1934, he was paired for the first 36 holes with tournament host Bobby Jones. Runyan won the tour money title in 1934, and was a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 1933 and 1935.
Runyan was competitive for many years; he won the PGA Championship again in 1938 and led the U.S. Open after three rounds as late as 1951. In the finals of his 1938 PGA, Runyan defeated Sam Snead 8 and 7, the most lopsided title match ever in the event, conducted as match play through 1957. This was despite Snead's vastly greater length off the tee, as much as per hole.
Fellow golfers nicknamed him "Little Poison", primarily because he did not drive the ball very far, but also because he had a terrific short game. Runyan had worked tirelessly on his short game from boyhood, since he realized early on if he were to succeed in golf, he had to compensate for his lack of length. Runyan opined that he is the smallest player in golf history who had significant success, although Fred McLeod had a fine record, too, and stood only and weighed a paltry.

Instructor

Runyan's teaching prowess led many top pros to him over his 75 years of teaching, including Gene Littler, Phil Rodgers, Chuck Courtney, Frank Beard, Jim Ferree and Mickey Wright. Golf Magazine wrote: "... since the late 1930s, he has probably been the most influential short game instructor. Untold thousands have been taught his methods for putting and chipping." Runyan wrote an influential book outlining his short-game methods, The Short Way to Lower Scoring.
He appeared as a contestant on the October 25, 1950, edition of You Bet Your Life where he tells an anecdote of hitting a spectator with his ball and in another competition his partner hits the same man.
Runyan was the first head golf professional at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington and served from 1968 to 1971. He also attended the 1998 PGA Championship held at Sahalee.
In 2000, he completed the annual Par 3 competition held one day before the Masters at the age of 91.

Personal life

In 2002, Runyan died in Palm Springs, California.

Awards and honors

In 1990, Runyan was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Runyan received the Harvey Penick Lifetime Teaching Award
In 1998, he received the PGA of America Distinguished Service Award.
In addition, he is a member of the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Hall of Fame and The Southern California Golf Association Hall of Fame.

Professional wins

PGA Tour wins (29)

1930 North and South Open, New Jersey Open
1931 Metropolitan PGA, Westchester Open
1932 Gasparilla Open Match Play
1933 Agua Caliente Open, Miami Biltmore Open, Virginia Beach Cavalier Open, Eastern Open Championship, National Capital Open, Mid-South Pro-Pro, Mid-South Open, Miami International Four-Ball, Pasadena Open
1934 St. Petersburg Open, Florida West Coast Open, Tournament of the Gardens Open, The Cavalier Open, Metropolitan Open, PGA Championship
1935 North and South Open, Grand Slam Open, Westchester Open, Metropolitan PGA
1936 Westchester Open, Metropolitan PGA
1938 PGA Championship
1939 Westchester Open
1941 Goodall Round Robin

Major championships are shown in bold.
Source:

Other wins

this list is probably incomplete

1934 Westchester Open
1938 Argentine Open
1942 Westchester Open
1947 Southern California PGA Championship

Senior wins

Major championships

Wins (2)

''Note: The PGA Championship was match play through 1957''

Results timeline

Tournament	1930	1931	1932	1933	1934	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939
Masters Tournament	NYF	NYF	NYF	NYF	T3	7	T4	T19	4	T16
U.S. Open			T12	DQ	T28	T10	T8	T14	T7	T9
The Open Championship				CUT
PGA Championship		R16	R32	QF	1	QF	R64	R16	1	QF

Tournament	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959
Masters Tournament								CUT	T35
U.S. Open	T25	T6	T22	CUT	CUT		CUT
The Open Championship
PGA Championship	R64	DNQ

Tournament	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA Championship				CUT	WD

NYF = tournament not yet founded

NT = no tournament

WD = withdrew

DQ = disqualified

DNQ = did not qualify for match play portion

CUT = missed the half-way cut

R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play

"T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary

Most consecutive cuts made – 33
Longest streak of top-10s – 6